Lawyers doubt prospect of bills banning religious clothes

The bills that intend to ban wearing religious clothing, including niqabs, in public places are causing a split in the society, which is especially negative amid the special military operation (SMO) in Ukraine. Religious clothes are not widespread in the country, this issue is not relevant, therefore the bills to ban them will not be adopted, lawyers believe.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that Vladislav Davankov, a Deputy Speaker of the State Duma, had offered to provide educational establishments with the right to ban religious clothes. Adam Delimkhanov, his colleague from Chechnya, has criticized this bill. Islamic scholars and human rights defenders have treated the bills to ban religious clothes in schools as discriminatory.

In their turn, Mikhail Matveev and Sergey Obukhov, State Duma MPs from the Communist Party of the Russian Federation (CPRF) have prepared a bill that would impose fines for wearing clothes that hide one's the face in public places, the "Vedomosti" outlet writes.

The bill looks harsh, Olga Sibiryova, an analyst at the SOVA Research Centre, has noted.

"It has a loophole: if they want to hold someone accountable, for example, who require wearing masks for medical reason, it would be difficult to justify that," she believes.

"Both bills are clear populism, since wearing niqabs is not very common among Russian Muslims. In streets, niqabs are much less likely met than same medical masks. It's one thing to announce populist measures – a ban on niqabs, but it's another thing to enter into open confrontation with a significant part of Russians who are Muslims," Ms Sibiryova has emphasized.

Anatoly Pchelintsev, a Doctor of Law, believes that the issue of banning wearing niqabs in public places in Russia is irrelevant.

"I wouldn't touch this topic at all. It's not that acute and relevant for Russia. Niqabs are not worn en masse," he has added.