Niqab Must be Banned in Russia Because It’s Being Used for Criminal Purposes, Silantyev Says

Paul Goble

    Staunton, Apr. 17 – Roman Silantyev, a specialist on Islam with close ties to the Russian Orthodox Church and reportedly to the FSB, is calling for the Duma to adopt laws banning the niqab, a veil worn by some Muslim women which leaves only their eyes uncovered, because he says it is being used by a variety of people for criminal purposes.

    If anyone covers his body in this way, the advisor to the Russian justice ministry says, he has something to hide and is giving himself the chance to commit crimes and avoid responsibility. Often, he continues, the niqab is used to hid narcotics or to commit thefts  (news.ru/society/religioved-obratilsya-k-spikeru-gosdumy-s-prosboj-zapretit-nikaby-v-rf/).

    In addition, Silantyev says, “in come cases,” the niqab “is the uniform of prostitutes” and perverts and is used “not only by women but by men who commit terrorist acts.” He adds that the law must be written so that no such covering are allowed given that earlier attempts to regulate such dress have failed.

    Three aspects of Silantyev’s declaration are important. First, he is notorious for his attacks on Muslims and so the authorities probably encouraged him to make such a proposal and use such harsh language. Second, the language he used is so nasty that it is a sign that the Kremlin’s attacks on Islam are likely to intensify in the coming months.

    And third, both for that reason and because of Silantyev’s position and ties with the Putin regime, it is almost certain that his proposal will become law when the Duma returns from its break and that regional governments will take action even before that as at least one, Tula Oblast, already has (readovka.news/news/224684).