In Russia, targeted prejudice and harassment towards veiled Muslim women continue to escalate. Despite Islam being the second-most practiced religion, religious discrimination remains rampant, particularly against women adhering to traditional Islamic dress codes.
Moscow's massacre at Crocus City Hall, claimed by the Islamic State, has led to heightened animosity towards Muslim women, effectively turning them into targets for various forms of discrimination. Eyewitness reports of attacks and professionals urging women to avoid going out alone have emerged. A growing sense of fear looms over millions of practicing Muslims, predominantly from non-Slavic communities like those in the Caucasus and Volga-Ural regions.
From public service job rejections to expulsion from educational institutions, the daily hardships veiled Muslim women endure symbolize the broader challenges facing the community. Despite constitutional guarantees of religious freedom, the state, at times, has weighed restrictions against religious head coverings, igniting an Islamophobia debate since the early 2000s, notably due to the wars in Chechnya.
The situation for Muslim women deteriorated further in 2015 when Russia's Supreme Court upheld a hijab ban in Mordovia's schools, creating a concerning legal precedent. A significant uptick in girl students forced out of schools for wearing hijabs has also been recorded, even in Tatarstan, where Islam holds deep cultural roots.
Kazan's Irek Mosque, often frequented by the republic's VIPs, has found itself in the limelight for another reason. Imam Timur Kamaev of the mosque recently faced severe backlash after releasing a video advising on wife-beating, drawing ire from various human rights activists and causing debates regarding interpretations of Islamic teachings.
The Kremlin's assertions of religious harmony stand in stark contrast to consistent reports of discrimination faced by Muslim women. Additionally, some regions are pushing for even stricter regulations. In Dagestan, for example, where a significant portion of the population is Muslim, efforts are on to make head coverings compulsory in public spaces. However, Dagestan's own measures saw a temporary niqab ban following deadly attacks, exacerbating the discourse on safety and religious rights.
Numerous public figures, from psychologists to women's rights activists, have openly criticized any form of domestic violence, countering figures like Kamaev. Their messages underscore not only the profound misinterpretation of religious texts but also the societal extremes the discourse frequently plunges into.
While mainstream perceptions occasionally reflect acceptance and adaptation of diverse religious practices, deep-seated biases and incidents of violence reveal an ongoing struggle for equality. The overarching narratives of these incidents, the legal precedents, and the public backlash, paints a complex picture of a community grappling with integration, acceptance, and safety within their homeland. For Muslim women, breaking out of the veil of prejudice remains a strenuous fight in modern-day Russia.