Kyrgyzstan May Start Fining People for Wearing Niqab in Public

The Kyrgyz parliament is considering a bill that would impose a fine of 20,000 soms, Orda.kz reports, citing 24.kg.

The fine would be for wearing a niqab or other clothing that conceals one's face in public places and government institutions.

The bill proposes adding an article to the Code of Offenses prohibiting the wearing of clothing that prevents identification.

Some deputies believe that the fine is too high, especially for women from socially vulnerable groups, who most often wear the niqab.

Kyrgyzstan's State Commission on Religious Affairs has faced calls to exclude the provision banning the niqab from the bill, as it is contrary to democratic principles.

The initiators claim that the restriction is necessary to identify a person in public places and state institutions.

Today, the document will be considered in the second reading.

Majilis deputy Yermurat Bapi has also previously spoken about the need to control the wearing of religious clothing in Kazakhstan.

He emphasized that the problem is not in hijabs but in the influence of destructive Islamic trends that undermine the national traditions of the Republic of Kazakhstan.

Original Author: Artem Volkov