KULOB, September 4, Asia-Plus — A news conference given by the Islamic Revival Party (IRPT) organization for the Kulob region of Khatlon has made an official protest against the education ministry’s decision to outlaw Islamic style headscarves, known as hejab, on campuses.

Members of the news conference that was held in Kulob on September 3 included senior representatives from the regional and city organizations of the IRPT in Kulob.  They gave the news conference after several female students wearing hejabs or Islamic headscarves from Kulob school # 3 were not allowed attending school yesterday

Speaking to journalists, the head of the IRPT organization for the city of Kulob, Muhammadsharif Nabiyev, said that although introduction of a single uniform for students is just a recommendation, the Kulob city education department head Davlatali Amirov giving a talk on local TV noted that wearing the single uniform is compulsory. 

According to Nabiyev, such measures are the direct violation of Article 5 of the country’s Constitution, which guarantees observance of human rights  

“Such actions of the education ministry and its sub-divisions in the provinces go against policy of the head of state, who has repeatedly stated that the overwhelming majority of Tajikistan’s population are Muslims.” The IRPT city organization head said.

“We would suggested that the minister should be engaged in tackling more important problems – each of schools in the country has students that even cannot read and write,” he said.