The Majlisi Milli, the upper chamber of the Tajik parliament, passed a bill on June 19 that prohibits "foreign attire" and children's festivities during two major Islamic holidays—Eid al-Fitr and Eid Al-Adha, also known as idgardak.
The bill, which was endorsed on May 8 by the lower chamber, the Majlisi Namoyandagon, primarily focuses on the hijab, an Islamic headscarf, and other traditional Islamic clothing items. These items have entered the Central Asian nation from the Middle East in recent years and have been linked to Islamic extremists by government officials.
The bill has stirred up debate among the predominantly Muslim population of this tightly regulated former Soviet republic, which shares a border with Afghanistan.
In its bill, the Majlisi Mill banned "alien garments" and children's celebrations for the two most important Islamic holidays - Eid al-Fitr and Eid Al-Adha, during which children visit houses in their streets to greet people.
Tajikistan has recently implemented official restrictions on hijabs following an unofficial ban that has existed for several years. The country has also unofficially prohibited the wearing of full beards.
In 2007, the Education Ministry banned both Islamic attire and Western-style miniskirts for students and later extended this ban to include all public institutions.
Recently, the Tajik government has initiated a campaign to promote the wearing of traditional Tajik clothing, as outlined in "The Guidebook Of Recommended Outfits In Tajikistan," published in 2018.
Additionally, in 2017, many mobile phone users received messages from the government encouraging women to don Tajik national attire.
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