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Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan, although predominantly populated by Muslims, prohibit wearing the hijab in government agencies, schools and universities.
The first demonstrative refusal of the hijab took place in Egypt in the 1870s. The first Muslim country to officially ban women from wearing the hijab was Turkey in 1925, but in 2008 the ban on wearing the hijab was lifted due to the fact that the ban on wearing Muslim headscarves violates the rights and freedoms of citizens.
On March 15, 2004, France passed a law banning “symbols or clothing that clearly demonstrate religious affiliation” in educational institutions.
And in Russia? Vasilyeva claims that the hijab is prohibited in schools, Kadyrov claims no, it is not prohibited:
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The head of Chechnya, Ramzan Kadyrov, criticized the head of the Ministry of Education and Science Olga Vasilyeva for demanding a ban on hijabs in Russian schools. He wrote about this on his Instagram.
According to Kadyrov, “the headscarf is not an attribute, but an important part of a Muslim woman’s clothing.” He also added that freedom of conscience and freedom of religion are guaranteed by the Russian constitution.
“Apparently, not all officials read this article. Education Minister Olga Vasilyeva said: “The Constitutional Court decided that the hijab, as emphasizing national identity, has no place in school! Therefore, I believe that this issue was resolved by the Constitutional Court... And I don’t think that true believers try to emphasize their attitude to faith with attributes. This is my deep personal conviction.” But the Constitutional Court did not consider this issue and did not make a decision on it! Conclusions based on a non-existent decision must be recognized as erroneous and misleading to Russian citizens,” he wrote.
According to him, Vasilyeva has the right to express her “personal conviction,” but it does not accept the force of law. He also expressed surprise that the minister was “imposing his personal beliefs on millions of citizens.”
“My three daughters go to school, wear a hijab, and have excellent grades. Olga Vasilyeva demands that they take off their scarves? Girls will never do this. Should I take them out of school and, together with them, look for a place where girls will be allowed to be Muslims? - wrote the head of Chechnya.
Earlier, the head of the Ministry of Education and Science said that schoolgirls should not emphasize their religion with attributes.
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With the start of the new academic year, scandals have broken out again in some educational institutions. All the fuss is due to the students' clothing. We are not talking about a uniform school uniform, but about the strict clothing of Muslim women - the hijab.
The other day, two classmates in Kokshetau were not allowed to attend their first lesson. The director demanded that the girls take off their scarves. To which the schoolgirls’ father reacted very aggressively.
Freshman Lolita Tashukhadzhieva is threatened with expulsion from the Polytechnic College in Astana if she does not stop wearing a hijab.
Similar situations have happened in the past academic year. They don't come up that often, but they do happen. And all because teachers often do not want to make a fuss, but among them there are still those who do not intend to deviate from the established rules. They say that God's law is sacred, but the school charter will not be allowed to be ignored.
By the way, Kazakh legislators have repeatedly expressed their opinion on hijabs. Some were categorically against wearing the hijab in educational institutions and demanded that they be banned, while others argued that it is everyone’s right to choose. But they never came to a common decision. And the cart is still there.
Total.kz correspondents asked the deputies what is the fate of hijabs in Kazakh educational institutions and whether this issue is on the agenda of parliamentarians in the new session.
Akhmed Muradov, Deputy of the Mazhilis of the Parliament of the Republic of Kazakhstan:
Kazakhstan is 80% Muslim, and they choose to wear what is allowed by their faith. And the hijab is an Arab attire; originally Kazakhs never wore it. The emergence in Kazakhstan of a special regulation or law prohibiting wearing them in public places, wrong. Each school has the right to make its own decisions regarding the appearance of students. I think that a short skirt on schoolgirls is a worse option than a hijab. There is no need to create any controversy and problems around religion, and especially hijabs. First of all, the hijab covers the girl’s head. But still the most important thing is not appearance, but what is in this head. We have a democratic country, if you want, go ahead, but you don’t have to violate accepted norms.
Zhambyl Akhmetbekov, Deputy of the Mazhilis of the Parliament of the Republic of Kazakhstan:
The topic of hijab in Kazakhstan has been raised more than once, and it must be approached with a clear understanding that Kazakhstan is not a country with an Islamic orientation. And we should not adopt the experience of those countries that allow hijabs to be worn in schools. In our country there is a single school uniform designed for everyone - believers, atheists, blacks and whites. Deeply religious parents must understand that their children do not go to school alone; in addition to them, there are many other children studying there who, unlike them, adhere to generally accepted standards. Those parents should adhere to all rules. There is no written document in Kazakhstan prohibiting or allowing the wearing of hijabs. And I think that we will not need it, since we are a secular state.
Kamal Burkhanov, Deputy of the Mazhilis of the Parliament of the Republic of Kazakhstan:
School is school, and the uniform is now universal, and I welcome this, as it disciplines. I am against wearing hijabs or wearing clothes indiscriminately. If there are any discussions in society around this and legislative documentation is in demand, it will be possible to discuss the issue in Parliament. It seems to me that there is no particular need for this now. It's not that much of a problem.
Svetlana Romanovskaya, Member of the Committee on Legislation and Judicial Reform of the Mazhilis of the Parliament of the Republic of Kazakhstan:
There is nothing like this yet, there has been no talk. Such standards have not been submitted to our Parliament. I remember my childhood, not everyone lived in abundance, some were richer, some poorer. But there was a single form that set up the work process. My youngest son is in third grade. I put a lot of effort into finding a form for him. I myself have no opinion on whether it is normal for schoolchildren to go to classes wearing a hijab. In my opinion, there should be freedom. And if we are talking about first-grade children, the initiative probably comes not from the children, but from their parents. But we have not yet considered this issue, no one has raised it, and this point is not enshrined in legislation anywhere. And according to the law, everything that is not prohibited is permitted.
Vladimir Bobrov, Deputy of the Senate of the Parliament of the Republic of Kazakhstan:
I cannot comment on the actions of the heads of educational institutions, because each case is individual, but, in principle, it is impossible to violate secular rules. According to the Constitution, our state is secular, and secular norms must be observed by representatives of all religions: Christianity, Islam, Judaism.
Galina Baimakhanova, Deputy of the Mazhilis of the Parliament of the Republic of Kazakhstan:
A school is a secular institution, and within its walls secular rules must be observed, including those regarding clothing. You can’t, for example, send a child half naked. But there are religious educational institutions - there, please, you can demonstrate your religious affiliation. If the parents are such deeply religious people, let them send their child to a madrasah. In addition, wearing hijabs is a kind of advertising of religious affiliation among children who do not yet understand the intricacies of religion. The child must determine his own views on faith throughout life, but not be subject to such indirect influence. I would also like to note that clothing is an external aspect. And the one who persists in wearing certain things, believes in these symbols - he has shallow faith. These are people, as a rule, who have not found their place in this life and are focused on details.
Having supported the ban on wearing headscarves, the head of the Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation referred to a non-existent decision of the Constitutional Court of the Russian Federation
“It is my personal conviction that it is unlikely that a deeply religious person will give much preference to paraphernalia, especially at school,” Russian Minister of Education and Science Olga Vasilyeva said today at a press conference in Moscow, citing the decision of the Constitutional Court of the Russian Federation. Meanwhile, decisions on this issue were made by the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation; they concerned only certain regions. And literally in December, Vladimir Putin said that the right to choose clothes was given to the schools themselves.
VASILYEVA: “THE CONSTITUTIONAL COURT DECIDED THAT HIJAB SHOULD NOT HAVE A PLACE IN SCHOOL”
Today the Minister of Education and Science of the Russian Federation Olga Vasilyeva During her press conference in Moscow, she supported the ban on wearing hijabs in schools. According to the head of the department, a true believer will not get hung up on paraphernalia. This is how a federal official commented in response to a question from a BUSINESS Online correspondent in the Tatar village of Belozerye, located in Mordovia, where local authorities banned students and teachers from wearing headscarves at school, citing the fight against extremism as the reason for their decision.
“For many years, as you know, I headed the department of state and interfaith relations, I don’t think that true believers try to emphasize their attitude to faith with attributes. This is my deepest personal belief. Colleagues, I ask you, I know well and am responsible for what I say. I would really like you to understand what I am saying correctly. It is my personal conviction that it is unlikely that a deeply religious person will give much preference to paraphernalia, especially at school. Our education is secular,” Vasilyeva said.
She recalled that this is not the first time such a situation has arisen in the country; a similar case occurred in the Stavropol Territory several years ago. “The Constitutional Court decided that the hijab, as an attribute that emphasizes nationality, should have no place in school. Therefore, I believe that this issue was decided by the Constitutional Court,” she added.
Let us note that the federal minister is apparently not entirely accurate in her response. The issue of wearing headscarves in schools was considered as a last resort not by the Constitutional Court, but by the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation. In 2013, the complaint of applicants from the Stavropol Territory against the ban was rejected; in February 2015, the same decision followed - the Supreme Court of Russia recognized the ban on displaying religious paraphernalia and wearing headscarves in schools as legal and again rejected the complaint of seven parents from Mordovia, precisely because Belozerye itself. At the meeting, the applicants insisted that the decision of the government of Mordovia limits the constitutional rights of citizens to freedom of religion and education. For greater persuasiveness, lawyers referred to the decision of the Supreme Court itself, which in 2003 allowed Muslim women to be photographed wearing headscarves for their passports. At the same time, representatives of the regional authorities insisted on the secularism of Russia and convinced that their decision could not discriminate against anyone. As a result, the judicial panel decided to leave the decision of the Supreme Court of Mordovia on the ban on hijabs unchanged, and the appeal of the residents was not satisfied.
In addition, there has been confusion with definitions: defenders of Belozersk teachers talk about “scarves,” while their opponents and Minister Vasilyeva talk about “hijabs.” Indeed, if the word “scarf” is close and understandable to all residents of Russia, regardless of religion, then the word “hijab” sounds like something alien and even sinister. Let us explain that “hijab” translated from Arabic means “veil”. According to Islamic tradition, this is the name for all clothing that covers the body from head to toe. Hijab is a complete set of women's clothing that meets the requirements of Shariah (covers everything except the hands and face, not tight-fitting, opaque, not colorful, not masculine). The headscarf may be considered part of the hijab, but it is not considered a hijab as such. Therefore, it cannot be said that the headscarf is not inherent to the peoples of Russia, because even the Orthodox religion prescribes covering the head with a headscarf when entering a church.
“STILL, THIS REGIONAL DIFFERENTIATION IS THERE”
“Olga Vasilyeva was misled: in the Stavropol region, as well as in Mordovia, they did not reach the Constitutional Court, they stopped at the Presidium of the Supreme Court,” a lawyer for Belozerye residents confirmed to BUSINESS Online Marat Ashimov, who was involved in this case two years ago and now. “The situation was very difficult, so we did not dare to file a complaint with the Constitutional Court.” At the same time, according to him, the decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation does not remove all questions, since then we were talking about school students, and now about teachers, some of whom, having refused to take off their headscarves, were forced to write a letter of resignation.
Is Ashimov now thinking about the prospect of appealing to the Constitutional Court of the Russian Federation? “We need to consult with colleagues from other regions, because this is such a step - if the Constitutional Court prohibits it, then it will be impossible to protest. This is the last resort. Very often, the decision of the Constitutional Court has a political overtone; in the wake of Islamophobia that reigns in society today, it can take negative decision“, says the lawyer.
At the same time, our interlocutor emphasizes one very important detail: the fact is that the bans confirmed by the court at the federal level formally apply not to all of Russia, but specifically to the Stavropol Territory and Mordovia: “If there was a Constitutional Court, then yes, its decision would apply to the whole of Russia, but the court in Stavropol concerns only this region, and does not apply in any way to Mordovia or, for example, Tatarstan. The same applies to the decision on Mordovia.”
Ashimov also insists that they called for taking into account regional specifics in this matter at the very top: “Still, this regional differentiation exists, Maxim Shevchenko asked Putin this question. To which he replied that each school has the right to decide this issue independently. That is, he made it clear that resolving these issues is within the competence of the regions and local authorities.”
Indeed, at the suggestion of a journalist and public figure Maxima Shevchenko The head of state commented on this topic as recently as December 9. Then, at a meeting of the Council for the Development of Civil Society and Human Rights, he vaguely noted that the issue of Muslim girls wearing headscarves in school should be resolved within the framework of the current legislation, and schools have the right to independently determine the dress code for students. “When it comes to clothing, it is a sensitive topic. Many European countries impose such restrictions. I will not give all the arguments; this is something that should also be decided within the framework of the current legislation. Schools are given the right to choose clothes,” he said then Vladimir Putin.
In the meantime, the problem of wearing headscarves in educational institutions of Mordovia has gone far beyond the borders of one specific village. Today Ashimov reported on his Facebook and confirmed in a personal conversation the following fact: “At the Mordovian State Pedagogical Institute named after Evseviev, Muslim students wearing a headscarf are not allowed to take exams and undergo internships, they are threatened with expulsion and not allowed to attend classes, and they are insulted in every possible way religious feelings say that they are against the state. The university administration refers to some kind of “internal” document, the contents of which are carefully hidden.”
Photo: e-nkama.ru
“THERE IS VERY LITTLE ROOM FOR INDIVIDUALITY – BOTH IN MORDOVIA AND CHECHNYA”
Meanwhile, obstacles are not created in all regions for women who want to wear headscarves in educational institutions. For example, in Tatarstan they do not deliberately make a problem out of this. “We have a decree of the Cabinet of Ministers of Tatarstan, which describes in detail what uniform boys and girls should wear at school,” the Deputy Minister of Education and Science of the Republic of Tatarstan told BUSINESS Online. Larisa Sulima. “But we don’t focus on scarves.” We, of course, have separate schools where girls wear these headscarves. We are not implementing any bans from the Ministry of Education.”
According to Sulima, there is no such problem in the republic at all. “We fully agree with the Russian Minister of Education, but this topic is not relevant in Tatarstan. There are no appeals from citizens, there is no such thing that somewhere they started wearing these scarves en masse. We don't have such a problem. There was a time when at five municipal areas The issue was raised by parents, which is why the Cabinet of Ministers adopted a resolution in 2013 on school uniforms. This resolution clearly states that in Tatarstan, school education is secular in nature and the uniform must be secular,” concludes one of the heads of the Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Tatarstan.
A decree of the republican government also regulates this issue in Chechnya, where the issue of determining the form of clothing was delegated to parent committees. As a result, almost all schoolgirls, on the contrary, wear headscarves. “In our country this is regulated by a decree of the government of the Chechen Republic. It clearly states what the uniform should be in educational organizations, and this form of clothing is directly prescribed in the school charter. “All this is with the approval of the parent committee,” the deputy head of the general education department of the Ministry of Education and Science of the Chechen Republic told our correspondent. Elisa Odaeva. — In accordance with our mentality, there is not a single parent who would not want his daughter to wear a headscarf. 100 percent of our girls wear headscarves. We are not talking about a hijab, but about a traditional Chechen headscarf. In accordance with our mentality. Not a hijab, but something like a headscarf.”
“In Chechnya, this dress code is considered generally accepted: when in schools from the first grade they wear headscarves,” a Chechen writer and political scientist told BUSINESS Online Ruslan Martagov. - Such white handkerchiefs. At one time, this dress code was vigorously enforced from the very top of the republican administration. On the other hand, this still coming from ancient pre-Muslim traditions, according to which a woman without a headscarf is something “not right.”
At the same time, Martagov notes that in modern Chechnya you can meet a large number of young girls who go without a headscarf. But it is customary to wear a headscarf to school, as well as to a university or institute - this is monitored. “That is, if in Mordovia they allowed a bend in one direction by banning headscarves, then in Chechnya there is a bend in the other direction. But there is very little room left for individuality - both in Mordovia and in Chechnya,” our interlocutor notes.
“WEARING TRADITIONAL CLOTHING IS AN INalienable HUMAN RIGHT”
Let us recall that at the beginning of January it became known that in the Tatar village of Belozerye, where 3 thousand people live, following a meeting of the regional committee on countering extremism under the leadership of the head of Mordovia Vladimir Volkov and the work of a special commission of the local Ministry of Education, an order appeared, signed by the new director of the Belozersk school, amending the internal rules of the school. It prohibits the wearing of headscarves on the territory educational institution both students and teachers. At the same time, the authorities see this as a method of combating extremism; allegedly, several people from wealthy Belozerye are seen in the ranks of extremists fighting in the Middle East. Several teachers refused to comply, causing widespread public outcry.
Almira Adiatullina: “The headscarf is not a religious attribute at all, but simply a modest form of clothing prescribed for a Muslim woman. And this does not threaten the secular content of education in any way, since it is a person’s personal matter.” Photo: BUSINESS Online
On Friday evening, an open letter appeared on the website of the World Congress of Tatars (WCT) addressed to the head of Mordovia, which, in particular, says: “The latest events in the village of Belozerye are gross arbitrariness and administrative pressure from the authorities of Mordovia against defenseless female teachers of the Belozerye secondary school, defending their right to observe national traditions and customs.” And the leadership of the region is accused of violating the Constitution of the Russian Federation: “In multinational and multi-religious Mordovia, without even studying the experience of its neighbors, violating the basic law of Russia, they are creating a conflict situation.” “The Executive Committee of the World Congress of Tatars demands that the authorities of Mordovia stop gross arbitrariness and administrative pressure on female teachers of the Belozeryevsk secondary school who are defending their national and religious rights,” conclude the authors of the letter.
“The teachers of the Belozerievsk school addressed us to Congress with a large letter asking for help. How can you not respond in such a situation? The Tatar public, and not only from Mordovia, also calls Congress and demands a response to this situation. This event has already begun to thunder throughout Russia! - Advisor to the Chairman of the Executive Committee of the VKT told BUSINESS Online Talgat Bariev. — This open letter is quite harsh, because how much is possible? They create a problem out of the blue.” At the same time, the authorities of the republic did not officially react to the situation in any way, although it is difficult to believe that the CGT did not coordinate its demarche with anyone.
“As for the fact that several people from this village went to fight in Syria, well, let them deal with them specifically! Such events should not be held indiscriminately throughout the village! What is this? What now, collective guilt, or what? In order to stop all such dangerous phenomena, we have special law enforcement agencies, what does the Ministry of Education of Mordovia and especially female teachers have to do with it?” - the adviser to the head of the VKT is confident.
The chairman of the public organization of women of Tatarstan “Muslima” also addressed Minister Vasilyeva. Almira Adiatullina. She points out that the village of Belozerye in Mordovia is a place of compact residence of Tatars, an ethnic group indigenous to these places. The vast majority of village residents are practicing Muslims. More than 90% of women wear the traditional Muslim headscarf, including teachers and students at the local school. The scarf here is not a tribute to fashion, but an integral element of the lifestyle and local way of life. And for for many years the work of the school, the state had no complaints about its teachers and students. "Wearing traditional clothes refers to inalienable human rights. The headscarf is not at all a religious attribute, as some figures are trying to mistakenly present it, but simply a modest form of clothing prescribed for a Muslim woman. And this does not threaten the secular content of education in any way, since it is a person’s personal matter,” sums up the public figure - the one who in 2003, through the court, obtained permission for Muslim women throughout the country to be photographed wearing headscarves for their passports.
Unfortunately, the problem of hijab arises from time to time in such regions of Russia as Bashkortostan and Tatarstan, where more than 1000 years have passed since the mass adoption of Islam by the peoples living here. For example, in Bashkiria there are also attempts by some leaders educational institutions prohibit Muslim girls from wearing headscarves in classes. Please note that we are not talking about sweaters, skirts or long dresses(after all, it doesn’t even occur to anyone to ban women’s clothing based on its style, color, length, etc.), but an innocent woman’s headdress!
Let's go through the Constitution
It’s good that so far members of the public have managed to resolve this issue without escalating passions into administrative or other conflicts. But under the ashes of observance of the notorious civil equality, the hot embers of actual religious intolerance continue to smolder, and, I think, one cannot remain an indifferent observer here. That is why I would like to convey to my compatriots my thoughts about the legality and legality of Muslim women wearing the hijab in any public place, be it a street, a store, a cafe or even a government institution.
Let's start with our main legal document - the Constitution of the Russian Federation. According to Part 2 of Art. 19 of our Basic Law prohibits any form of restriction of the rights of citizens on the basis of social, racial, national, linguistic or religious affiliation. But, no matter how strange it may seem, current supporters of equal rights for citizens are trying to justify the ban on wearing a simple headscarf in a public place by the requirement not to emphasize their religious affiliation by wearing symbols or clothing. Isn't this a direct violation of the above constitutional norm? So then we can really go as far as banning the wearing of crosses for Christians, kippas for Jews, and skullcaps for Muslim men from the Bashkirs, Tatars and other Turkic peoples.
Next. Article 28 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation gives all our citizens the right to freely choose, hold and disseminate religious and other beliefs and act in accordance with them. If a woman freely accepted Islam, considers herself a Muslim and professes certain beliefs, including the observance of the hijab, then she has the right to act in accordance with her convictions, this is her constitutionally protected right! And anyone who tries to challenge this himself becomes a violator of human rights on grounds of religious affiliation.
A theorem based on speculation
Now I will try to approach the issue of the right of Muslim women to wear the hijab in public, using the analogy of a logical-mathematical proof.
So, given: part 3 art. 17 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation states that the exercise of human and civil rights and freedoms must not violate the rights and freedoms of others. Worker government agency is a convinced Muslim, and she wants to wear a hijab to work, in particular, not to take off her headscarf in the presence of strangers. Question: Does the wearing of a hijab by this employee in a government institution in any way violate the rights of other persons working in this institution or coming there for their own issues?
Proof. Hijab is women's clothing, corresponding to the norms of Islamic morality, and the women's headdress - the headscarf - is part of it. Can a scarf thrown over the head of a worker violate any rights of those nearby, or in any way offend their feelings? Of course, it cannot, since a scarf as an item of clothing cannot in any way prevent someone from contacting an employee on business matters, or make it difficult for her to perform her work functions. An ordinary women's scarf cannot cause any negative feelings in normal people, regardless of their gender, age, nationality, language or religion. Moreover, from the point of view of Islamic morality, being forced to take off a headscarf in the workplace sounds as offensive to a Muslim woman as the requirement to wear short skirt. Thus, wearing a hijab in general and a headscarf in particular cannot in any way violate anyone’s rights.
And one last thing. The Constitution of the Russian Federation guarantees every citizen freedom of conscience and freedom of religion. According to the constitutional and legal meaning of Article 55 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation, the generally recognized rights and freedoms of man and citizen cannot be canceled or diminished, and their limitation federal laws is permitted only to the extent necessary in order to protect the foundations of the constitutional system, morality, health, rights and legitimate interests of other persons, ensuring the defense of the country and the security of the state.
Therefore, I really want to get answers to the following questions from opponents of the hijab in Russia:
Does the hijab threaten the foundations of the constitutional order?
Does wearing a hijab hinder the moral behavior of girls and women in Russia?
Does the hijab worsen the physical or mental health of women and men?
Does Muslim women's wearing of the hijab contradict the rights and legitimate interests of others?
Will the ban on the hijab in Russia ensure the defense capability and security of the state?
If someone can answer these questions positively and is able to prove that they are right, then I will have to admit that the coordinates of truth in Russia do not correspond to world realities.
Valiakhmet Badretdinov, publicist, public figure.
The director of the Traditional Gymnasium, Priest Andrei POSTERNAK, the editor-in-chief of the Orthodox youth magazine “Heir,” Archpriest Maxim PERVOZVANSKY, and the head of RIA Novosti, Radik AMIROV, reflect on whether schoolchildren’s clothing should be secular, on non-national values and the “melting crucible of the Soviet empire.”
Let us recall that in the State Duma, as part of the discussion on the draft law on education, the bill “On Education in the Russian Federation,” the issue of introducing a unified school uniform is being discussed. The reason was a case that caused a great resonance in society and in the media in one of the schools in the Stavropol Territory, in which a Muslim student was prohibited from attending classes in a hijab. As RIA Novosti reported yesterday, Russian President Vladimir Putin also expressed his opinion on wearing hijabs in Russian schools and proposed introducing a uniform uniform for students.
Priest Andrei Posternak: In our country there is no tradition of wearing special “confessional” clothes
The director of the traditional gymnasium, Candidate of Historical Sciences, Dean of the Faculty of History of PSTGU, Priest Andrei POSTERNAK, believes that the discussion in the Duma of wearing confessional clothing in schools will lead the discussion about Russian education away from real problems:
“If I were the director of a secular school, I would be embarrassed by the appearance of children in hijabs at school, because we live in a historically Orthodox country, and not in a Muslim one. The question of whether or not to indicate one’s religious affiliation at school must be consistent with the cultural traditions that exist in the country. If there is no tradition in a country of wearing certain clothes that indicate religious affiliation, then perhaps there is no point in insisting on changing it.
The problem is that this is most often discussed by people who have no idea what should be the main attribute of religion, and what religion means for a person. A similar law has now been adopted in Europe. It is not surprising that these laws are also being discussed here and are ready to be adopted.
This is connected, on the one hand, with anti-clericalization, and on the other hand, with general secularization. Another question is that in our conditions this bill is most likely not the most important thing about which we should now break spears. There are a lot of other issues related to education and upbringing that the state does not solve in any way. I don’t think at all that this is a fundamental issue that needs to be resolved at the Duma level. It would be better to discuss the issue of youth education.”
Radik Amirov: Hijab is not an indicator of the truth of faith
RIA Novosti employee, executive secretary of the Union of Muslim Journalists Radik Amirov spoke about his attitude to the problem:
“In the Moscow metro, a girl in a hijab enters the carriage - and immediately a huge space forms around her. People avoid her, look askance, many get off at the next station. This is an objective picture. Russian society is not ready for complete “hijabization,” let’s be honest.
I am Muslim. For example, my children go without a hijab. I won't force this on them. But, I repeat, they are Muslims. They know about Islam, they know religious holidays, everyday life But I won’t force my three daughters into hijab. The decisions will still be theirs. Why don’t some people, behaving too pretentiously (which had never happened before) understand that they are thereby depriving themselves of opportunities: communication, a career, maybe even study.
We live in a secular country where Russians, and therefore Orthodox Christians, are the majority. Let's take this factor into account. It is very important not to cause irritation, do not once again it is pointedly, foppishly shocking to talk about one’s religious affiliation. Hijab is the only way to “register” oneself as a Muslim?! Are there no other ways? During the Hajj, I saw how rich pilgrims bought national Arab scarves in expensive supermarkets, put them on their heads and walked without noticing anything or anyone: “I have an Arafatovka from Giorgio Armani.” But at the same time, not a cent was given to the beggars at these supermarkets. The question is, is your Muslimness in this keffiyeh (“Arafatovka from Armani”?). If you are a true Muslim and believe in one God, then you probably don’t need to emphasize your lifestyle only with clothing attributes. Is it just about hijabs?! In this case, there are also ordinary scarves that are worn in our country in the North Caucasus, the Volga region and Moscow. After all, the main thing is not whether to wear or not wear a hijab. The main thing is not to walk around with open hair. It’s easier not to make a fool of yourself, as in the popular proverb.
Of course, for many zealous zealots of the faith it would be joyful if teenage girls were allowed to wear a hijab in schools, but why cause irritation? Can't there be compromises? The fact is that in our large country it is difficult to reconcile religious, national and secular traditions. Radical Muslims say: “My daughter won’t go to school because you can’t wear a hijab there.” In my opinion, in this case they need to find some special Islamic religious schools for training. There are opportunities for this.”
Archpriest Maxim Pervozvansky: The wisest thing is not to bring the issue of hijabs to the parliamentary level
The editor-in-chief of the Naslednik magazine, Archpriest Maxim Pervozvansky, connects this discussion with the search for national identity after the international “melting crucible” of the era of the Soviet empire:
“The most competent and wise thing would be not to raise this issue to the State Duma level. School boards have sufficient authority to make such decisions independently. Let me clarify, not the school administration in the person of its director, but rather the School Council, which includes the students’ parents. So, now this self-government body is successfully resolving issues of whether to wear or not wear school uniform, and what it should be.
In general, the decision about whether students’ appearance can or cannot indicate their religious identity is not a global issue. It's more of a tactical issue. The fact is that any large multinational country, and Russia is a multinational country, exists normally and stably only when it is structured like an empire. And an empire exists only when common imperial values in the eyes of the inhabitants of the empire exceed national values. That is, when it is important for a person to be a Tatar, Uzbek or Russian, but it is even more important to be a Russian. Such a country is a “melting crucible of nations.” This is what the Soviet Union was like. For a Soviet person, the more important thing was “I take it out of my wide trousers, a duplicate of a priceless cargo: look, envy, I am a citizen of the Soviet Union!” Moreover, this citizen could be Russian, Turkish, Chechen, or anyone else. But the problem of forming such an identity in the Soviet Union was the violent nature of its imposition. Therefore, when the Soviet Union shook and the halo of sanctity of the empire collapsed, each person began to look for a new identity for himself. On this basis of defeat, national identities grew. The same can be said about religious identities.
Although empire is not a fashionable word, the multinational state of the Russian Federation does not exist on the principle of a confederation. And if it’s not a confederation, it means an empire. Even if this is not a fashionable word and has come to bear the character of a “heavy imperial legacy,” but if you remove the populist hype from it, then, of course, the Russian state exists like an empire: with centers, provinces, and prefectures. An empire is an excellent form of existence of a state, the peoples included in it live peacefully, without local wars and conflicts, taking advantage of the advantages that a common state provides (transport network, army, duty-free trade, education and much, much more).
At the moment, most “multinational” countries are losing their supranational and supra-religious attractiveness. We see this in both Spain and the UK. That is why these questions are now being raised about the admissibility of public manifestations of religious or national identities. And it is extremely important for the state as a whole to take care of the significance of supranational values within the country. Then everything will work. And no one will question why at school this or that child fasts, refusing meat, or, for example, wears certain elements of religious clothing.”
