Press Release
Tajikistan Intensifies its Campaign of Criminalizing Islam and Muslims

On the 21st of January 2016 the BBC reported that the government of Tajikistan has escalated its ban which started from the year 2015 on ‘non-Tajik’ clothing by forcibly removing women’s Hijabs. This is in addition to shaving the beards of men. Currently the security forces have removed the headscarves of 1700 women and shaved off the beards of 13,000 Muslim men deemed ‘too long’. The regime’s paranoia regarding the rise in support of Islamic practices and politics is such that 162 Islamic shops have also been shut down and on the 13th January 2016, lawmakers issued a ban on Arabic names for Tajik children.

President Emomali Rahmon’s excuse for these oppressive and draconian measures against ordinary Muslims is reported to be his concern for the rise in extremism and an increase in recruitment for terrorist organizations like ISIS/ISIL. What is clear to the Muslims of Tajikistan is that the real terrorist threat in the country comes from the government itself and its violent repression of any expression of Islamic allegiance.

President Rahmon maintains his authority using the most heinous methods of spying, torture and brute force with full realization that the people have no respect or allegiance to his corrupt and power hungry regime. In true puppet fashion he can only mimic the time-old methods of other leaders in his defunct position and that is to assert his cult of personality using fear and insecurity as his weapon of control. Such tactics of deliberate humiliation of Muslims in no way breaks the resolve of devout Muslim women to worship Allah (swt) over any creation or submit to the oppressive whims of this cowardly regime by abandoning their Islamic dress or any other Islamic obligation. Such desperate methods of the elite in any country only serve to prove the superiority of the Islamic human values which from the time of the Prophet (saw) were not violent and furthermore was the cause for leading humanity from the oppression of the religions to the light of Islam. The fact that the Muslims of Tajikistan embraced Islam in the 7th century and survived the most ruthless persecution under various Russian dictators is evidence of the power of Iman over Kufr. The Muslims of Tajikistan indeed have an unshakable conviction and resolve to serve Allah (swt) only and rise above any worldly challenge, staying true to the Quran and Sunnah regardless of the consequence or obstacles.

The Women’s Section of the Central Media Office of Hizb ut Tahrir say to our people in Tajikistan who are being forced to dress by nationalistic standards and to submit to the laws of Kufr, that Bi’ithnillah they will soon be liberated from the chains of their oppressive regime by Hizb ut Tahrir which works to establish the Khilafah "Caliphate" (Caliphate) based upon the method of the Prophethood under the leadership of the esteemed scholar Sheikh Ata Bin Khalil Abu al-Rashtah. The return of this magnificent state will guarantee their ability to wear their Islamic dress and practice all their Islamic obligations with dignity and under the full protection of the law. Until Allah (swt) grants this great victory, we pray that Allah (swt) strengthens the hearts of our dear courageous Tajik brothers and sisters so that they keep steadfast upon their Deen, unshaken by the desperate tactics of this brutal regime to terrorise them away from their Deen. The Almighty said,

((يُثَبِّتُ اللَّهُ الَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ بِالْقَوْلِ الثَّابِتِ فِي الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا وَفِي الآخِرَةِ وَيُضِلُّ اللَّهُ الظَّالِمِينَ وَيَفْعَلُ اللَّهُ مَا يَشَاء))

“Allah keeps firm those who believe, with the firm word, in worldly life and in the Hereafter. And Allah sends astray the wrongdoers. And Allah does what He wills.” [Ibrahim: 27]

Women's Section
The Central Media Office of Hizb ut Tahrir