Several incidents of forced beard shavings have been reported, and a hospital recently turned away a group of women wearing hijabs, Lemon said. Tajikistan is not alone in the region taking aim at Islamic dress. In neighbouring Kyrgyzstan, President Almazbek Atambayev endorsed a series of controversial banners last year that depicted women in traditional Kyrgyz dress opposite women wearing dark niqab veils. Suyarkulova also said that Tajikistan's 2009 decision to change International Women's Day to "Mother's Day" suggested a "narrowing of the possible field for women's participation in politics and society." Suyarkulova also said that Tajikistan's 2009 decision to change International Women's Day to "Mother's Day" suggested a "narrowing of the possible field for women's participation in politics and society."

Source: Egypt Independent April 04, 2017 11:15 UTC