Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has signed into law a measure banning face coverings in public spaces, the latest in a series of restrictions on Islamic dress introduced across Central Asia in recent years.
The law, signed on Monday, prohibits the wearing of clothing that “interferes with facial recognition” in public places. Exceptions have been made for medical reasons, during adverse weather conditions, and at cultural or sporting events.
Though the legislation does not explicitly reference religion or particular garments, the move is widely viewed as part of a regional trend targeting face-concealing Islamic attire, such as the niqab.
Kazakhstan, a former Soviet republic and a majority-Muslim country, joins neighbouring states like Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan in tightening restrictions on public displays of religious clothing.
President Tokayev has previously voiced support for the face-covering ban as a way of reinforcing Kazakhstan’s national identity. “Rather than wearing face-concealing black robes, it's much better to wear clothes in the national style,” he said earlier this year, according to Kazakh media.
“Our national clothes vividly emphasise our ethnic identity, so we need to popularise them comprehensively.”
Similar measures have been enforced elsewhere in the region. In Kyrgyzstan, police have carried out street patrols to ensure compliance with bans on the niqab, while Uzbekistan imposes fines of over $250 on those violating its laws.
In Tajikistan, President Emomali Rakhmon approved a ban on clothing deemed “alien to national culture.”
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