Tajikistan: Government increases grip on the country

Tajikistan | 14 October 2017

As reported by Jamestown on 22 September 2017, six million mobile phone users in Tajikistan received text messages in September telling them to "respect traditional clothes" and "make it a tradition to wear traditional clothes". The messages, sent at the behest of the State Committee on Women's and Family Affairs, are the latest stage in a government campaign to suppress Islamic clothing as part of measures aimed at countering radical Islamic militancy. The government of President Emomali Rahmon has introduced policies in recent years to promote such a move. These policies are twofold: they encourage citizens to wear "national" dress and discourage Islamic or Western clothing. National dress is understood as being a suit and clean-shaven face for Tajik men and a colorful, long, two-piece outfit with headscarf worn above the ears for Tajik women. ‚ Rolf Zeegers, persecution analyst at World Watch Research sees the steps taken by the Tajik government as being a consistent policy to increase control over society: "If you want an example of dictatorial paranoia then these clothing prescriptions are a good example. The "˜recommendations" mentioned above affect the largest religious group in the country, Tajikistan"s Muslims and are exemplary for many other restrictions imposed on all religious groups, including the Christian minority."