Turkish rights group protests Tajikistan's crackdown on religious freedom

MAZLUMDER condemned the Tajik government's actions in a press statement delivered in front of the Tajikistan Embassy. The statement criticized the limitations on religious attire and celebrations as a violation of fundamental rights.

"According to news reports," said MAZLUMDER Ankara Branch Vice President Abdurrahman Ünlü, "Tajikistan's President Imamali Rahman has signed a decree banning headscarves, turbans, and clothing with Islamic symbols."

Ünlü emphasized that Tajikistan's population is overwhelmingly Muslim and argued that the ban on headscarves, justified as being "foreign to the country's culture," represents a clear infringement on religious freedom. He compared the policy to Türkiye's past restrictions on religious attire, highlighting the negative societal impacts.

"This outdated practice not only violates fundamental rights," Ünlü continued, "but also serves no purpose in modernizing society. We, at MAZLUMDER, along with participating organizations, call for the immediate reversal of this policy. We have written a letter to Tajik President Imamali Rahman urging him to respect basic human rights and reverse this wrong course of action." (ILKHA)