Amid criticism of Davankov’s initiative, Muftis of North-Caucasian regions explain the ban on niqabs

The bill put forward by Vladislav Davankov, a Vice-Speaker of the Russian State Duma, to ban wearing religious clothing in schools and public places is anti-Islamic in nature, the Muftis of North-Caucasian regions are sure. In their opinion, the Muftiates' recommendations to ban wearing niqabs were an attempt to prevent destructive forces from using the topic, but in most mosques, no measures will be taken, since wearing niqabs does not violate the norms of the Sharia Law.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that the Muslims' Coordination Centre of Northern Caucasus (MCCNC) has urged the Russian President and the State Duma not to adopt the above bill banning religious clothing. The North-Caucasian Muftis have stated that the bill violates believers' rights.

“The Davankov’s bill raises the issue not even about clothing, but about Islam itself. It clearly expresses an anti-Islamic position,” Mufti Khadjimurad Gatsalov, the head of the Spiritual Administration of Muslims (SAM, or Muftiate) of North Ossetia-Alania, has stated.

The SAMs' claims are directed against the bills that restrict, and even more so prohibit, the wearing of religious clothing, Ibragim Ibragimov, the secretary of the MCCNC, has noted.

He sees no contradiction in the fact that, in parallel with the appeal not to pass the laws restricting wearing of religious clothing, some Muftiates recommend refraining from wearing niqabs. “The decision to temporarily limit wearing niqabs and the statement that legislators should not touch this topic are aimed against the use thereof by destructive forces,” Mr Ibragimov has explained.

He has clarified that the restriction on wearing niqabs is advisory in nature. “They can't and won't do anything to the women wearing niqabs. But within any organization, specific dress codes can be introduced, and individual mosques can also do this,” Ibragim Ibragimov believes.

Mufti Muhammad Rakhimov, the Chairman of the SAM of the Stavropol Territory, has indicated that he saw no possibility of preventing women with covered faces from visiting mosques.