Moscow: July 1, 2024
Photo: RIA-Novosti
Recent incidents in Dagestan, a Moslem-majority republic of the Russian Federation in the Caucasus region, have caused Moslem religious authorities, as well as local and federal government authorities, to review the public wearing of the niqab—a garment that fully covers a woman’s head and body, leaving only a narrow opening for the eyes.
The Mufti of the republic, Ahmed Abdulaev, has announced that a fatwa (theological and legal ruling) banning the wearing of the niqab is expected to be issued soon. He has publicly explained the difference between a hijab and a niqab. The hijab covers a woman’s head and neck, but leaves the face unhidden. It is similar to the head covering of an Orthodox nun, with the exception that it can be decorative. A niqab, however, almost completely conceals the wearer’s identity. As some law enforcement officials have warned, the billowing niqab can conceal weapons—or a man’s physiognomy.
“The niqab—our staff is currently working on this—we will be issuing a fatwa to ban the niqab” the Dagestani Mufti stated during a meeting between the head of Dagestan, Sergey Melikov, and representatives of civil society institutions. “In the coming days, there will be a fatwa, a Sharia decision on the ban.”
According to him, the fatwa banning the niqab will not be lifted until peace and stability are established throughout the republic. He suggested that if any man is concerned about showing his wife’s face in public, he should consider keeping her at home for now.
Last week, the head of the Russian Investigative Committee, Alexander Bastrykin, speaking at the International Youth Legal Forum in St. Petersburg, proposed that the State Duma legislate a ban on wearing niqabs in the country. He added that such a measure needs to be adopted urgently.
Shortly before this, Sergey Melikov also spoke out against the wearing of the niqab due to security concerns. He noted that this type of clothing is generally not characteristic of the peoples of the Caucasus, RIA.ru reports.
There has been a tendency in recent years to import women’s clothing trends to the Caucasus from some Middle Eastern countries, where Sharia is the law of the land, and rules governing women’s public appearance are much stricter. It has also been pointed out that the flowing, full robes worn by men in the Middle East have not been imported to Dagestan, where men generally wear shorts and t-shirts in the withering heat.
Recently, a scandal related to the wearing of the niqab emerged in Khasavyurt, Dagestan. According to Melikov, a certain “pseudo-activist” harassed a doctor for asking a patient to remove her head covering during a medical examination. Melikov explained that this individual, based on subjective reasons, threatened a woman who was simply doing her job. The head of the republic expressed his support for the doctor and guaranteed her protection. He also warned that “pseudo-leaders” of public opinion who attempt to divide the population of the country will face inevitable consequences.
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Recently, Marina Alieva, the director of Women’s Affairs of the Dagestan Muftiate, interviewed the doctor who was harassed by the “activist” blogger. In this interview the doctor, a Russian woman, described what actually happened in her office that day. She received a woman without a prior appointment because she was complaining of acute pain. The doctor told her that she would need to have an ultra-sound, but that this would require she remove her niqab. The woman protested, but the doctor is convinced that her fears were the result of a simple misunderstanding and the language barrier. This incident was picked up by a Dagestani blogger, who seemed to be trying to spread outrage among the Moslem population. The blogger himself is now under investigation for alleged previous involvement in recruiting to ISIS.
Interview: Director of Women’s Affairs of the Dagestan Muftiate
Alieva asked the doctor if she was being harassed by other Dagestanis. The doctor replied that she to the contrary was receiving only words of support, at which Alieva assured her that her organization would on its part work to protect her from any negative consequences proceeding from the incident. The doctor noted that from the time she moved to Khasavyurt to establish this clinic, she has only felt welcome as an individual and appreciated as a medical professional.
