The Tajik parliament's upper chamber, the Majlisi Milli, approved a bill on June 19 banning "alien garments" and children's celebrations for two major Islamic holidays -- Eid al-Fitr and Eid Al-Adha, known as idgardak. The bill, approved on May 8 by the lower chamber, the Majlisi Namoyandagon, mostly targets the hijab, or Islamic head scarf, and other traditional items of Islamic clothing, which started coming to the Central Asian nation in recent years from the Middle East and have been associated with Islamic extremists by officials. The bill sparked controversy among the mostly Muslim population of the tightly controlled former Soviet republic, which borders Afghanistan. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Tajik Service, click here.
Tajik Parliament's Upper Chamber Approves Bill Banning Hijab
The bill mostly targets the hijab, or Islamic head scarf, and other traditional items of Islamic clothing. (file photo)