ISLAM IN TAJIKISTAN
AN EXPERIMENT WITH MODERNITY
SARASIJ MAJUMDER
EARLY HISTORY:
The territory was previously home to cultures of the Neolithic and
the Bronze
Age, including the city of Sarazm, and
was later home to kingdoms ruled by people of various faiths and cultures
including the Oxus civilization, Andronovo
culture, Buddhism, Nestorian Christianity, Hinduism, Zoroastrianism, Manichaeism,
and lastly--Islam.
The Arabian invasion occurred in the 8th century. It led to the complete Islamization of Tajikistan
by the middle of the 11th century.
Later, it became part of USSR form 1929.Tajikistan was then known
as the Tajik Soviet Socialist Republic (Tajik SSR), or Soviet Tajikistan,
from 1929 to 1991. The country gained independence from the Soviet Union
in 1991. The name Tajikistan comes from the Persian suffix
"-stan" which means "place of" or "country," so
the name literally means "Land of the Tajik people".
Islam is now the STATE religion of Tajikistan, with over 90%
of the population identify themselves as Muslim. The majority of Muslims
in Tajikistan practice Hanafi Sunni Islam, which has a 1,200-year tradition in
Central Asia. A smaller percentage of Muslims, around 3–4%, are Ismaili
Shia, with most of them living in the GBAO region in the east of the
country. Ismailism is a small denomination of Shia Islam that first gained
adherents in Central Asia in the 10th century and has survived in the Pamir
Mountains despite Sunni, and other persecution.
PRESENT GOVERNMENT INSTRUCTIONS:
In recent years, the Tajik government has taken steps that
some have criticized as violations of religious autonomy:
- In
2024, the government released a handbook called The Guidebook Of
Recommended Outfits In Tajikistan, which lists acceptable clothing
materials, lengths, colours, and shapes for women. The guide allows
for a coloured headscarf to be worn in the traditional Tajik style, tied
behind the head without covering the face and neck. It also bans
black clothing at funerals and recommends blue outfits with white
headscarves.
- In
the same year, the government
also banned the hijab, with penalties for violators including fines
of $740 for individuals and $5,400 for legal entities. Government
officials and religious authorities face higher fines of $3,700 and
$5,060, respectively. The Union of Islamic Scholars and clerics in
Afghanistan, and the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) have
both condemned the decision, and the USA has spoken out against the violation of
religious autonomy.
- This how USA interferes in
the internal matter of other Countries.
THE
OUTCOME:-
1.0 The Islamist Garments that Fundamentalists advocate—is
banned.
2.0 You
have to wear Old Traditional TAJAQ DRESS. Islamic Garments are called “ALLIEN
GARMENTS”. VERRY COORECT DECISION! BANGLADESH FAILED HERE! INDIA ALSO SHALL DO
THIS!
3.0 Children will not observe—“Eid -ul-Fitr and Eid- ul-Adha”.
4.0 The country has unofficially banned bushy beard also.
5.0 The lawmakers have imposed penalties for offenders that
range from 7,920 somonis(Tajik currency) for individuals to 39,500 somonis for
legal entities. Moreover, government officials and religious authorities are
subject to significantly higher fines of 54,000 somonis to 57,600 somonis,
respectively, upon conviction.
6.0 There is no agitation seen by organisations or by people
of Tajikistan against the new law.
References:- Many information are sourced from AI-Search, available in Public Domain, but scattered. Some are listed below:
1.0- https://www.state.gov/reports/2022-report-on-international-religious-freedom/tajikistan/
2.0- https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/rest-of-world/tajikistan-bans-hijab-in-campaign-against-public-religiosity-all-you-need-to-know/articleshow/111195960.cms
3.0 https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/09637499808431804
Images:-- GOOGLE
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