Police in Tajikistan shaves beards of about 13,000 men in an attempt to curb ‘radicalization’

                                                                                     (C)Reuters

Police in Tajikistan reportedly shaved beards of nearly 13,000 men and convinced hundreds of women to remove their headscarves( Islamic hijabs), in their attempt to curb radicalization. More than 160 shops selling Muslim clothing have also been shut to end "foreign influences", a term used to describe radical Islam in the country. Shaving beards is part of a government campaign targeting trends that are deemed "alien and inconsistent with Tajik culture".
The government campaign is explained by the need to fight radicalization, amid fears that Central Asia might follow the path of countries such as Afghanistan, Iraq or Syria towards extremism. Estimates suggest that between 1,500 and 4,000 Central Asians could have joined different Islamist militant groups in Syria, as of June 2015. The move against beards is seen as part of a broader government campaign against the adoption of Islamic cultural practices in Tajik society, and to preserve secular traditions.
 

According to official data, 99% of the Tajik population are Muslim. However, atheism was officially encouraged during 70 years of Soviet rule.
The campaign against Islamic practices also affects women. There is an official ban on wearing hijabs in schools and universities - but in practice it is enforced in all state institutions. President Emomali Rakhmon has also warned Tajiks: "Don't worship alien values, don't follow alien culture. Wear clothes of traditional colours and cut, not black."
"Even in mourning, Tajik women [should] wear white, not black," he said.
And the authorities have previously called on parents to give their children traditional Tajik names, rather than Arabic or foreign-sounding names. It is not clear whether these policies will have an impact on preventing radicalism.