Kazakhstan’s Parliament have approved a bill banning the wearing of Niqabs in public places. The legislation has been sent to the president for final approval.
The bill introduces amendments to the Law “On the Prevention of Offenses.” It was initially reviewed by the Senate on June 19 but sent back to the Mazhilis (the lower house) for revisions, mainly concerning provisions related to housing for law enforcement personnel.
Debates about a potential ban on the Niqab have been ongoing in Kazakhstan for several years. In March 2024, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev described the Niqab as an “archaic form of clothing imposed on Kazakh women by radicalised neophytes”.
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He called it “a blatant challenge” to the country’s traditional values.
Female Islamic clothing and men’s beards have long been the focus of government campaigns in Central Asia, where secular governments fear the growing influence of Islam.