An important law has been passed in Kazakhstan, considered the nearest neighbor in India. The country’s Parliament has taken this step amid rising religious fundamentalism and security concerns in the country. Under this law, wearing all kinds of clothing in public places and faces is now banned.
The bill has now been sent to Kazakhstan President Qasim-Jomart Tokyev for final approval. According to local media reports, the government has taken this step for security reasons and the secular identity of the country.
Officials say that face -to -face clothing makes it difficult for law and implementation agencies to identify a person. This can pose a threat to the country’s public security. However, the bill also has concessions for certain situations. If a person covers his face due to any medical reasons, weather, office need, cultural program or civil defense, he will be exempted from this ban.
The government says this step is to maintain the image of secular policies and traditional cultural values. Officials also said that clothing in Islam is not compulsory and full -face -to -face clothing and these practices are often associated with foreign religious influences.
President Tokyaw also said in March 2024 that the veil is an old and unnatural attire, which has been imposed by new fundamentalists on women of the country. He called it against the traditional culture of Kazakhstan. Over the past few years, the number of women wearing a veil on the streets of Kazakhstan and covering the whole body with black clothes has increased. This shows the changing religious attitude of the country, which is completely different from its secular image.
Earlier in 2017, Kazakhstan was banned from wearing a hijab for school girls. In the year 2023, the ban was also implemented on students and teachers of all schools, which more than 150 girls decided not to go to the school. At that time, President Tokyaw made it clear that the school was an educational institution, where religious attire cannot be allowed.
Let us tell you that more than 70 percent of Kazakhstan’s population is Muslim but the constitutional system of the country is independent of religion. Here the government’s policies are based on the principles of secularism. President Tokyev believes himself in Islam and also obeyed the beliefs associated with it. He also went to Mecca and did Umrah and fasted in Ramzan during the month. Nevertheless, they are in favor of keeping the policies of the country secular.
By the way, let us tell you that Kazakhstan is not the only country that has taken such a step. Its neighboring countries, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyz, also banned the clothing of the veil and face in public in 2023 and 2025. Kazakhstan shares its borders with China, Russia, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan, and the impact of radicals is low here.
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