Astana: Kazakhstan has become the latest country in Central Asia to ban veils and niqab worn by Muslim women, an official said.
Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev on Monday signed a law banning the wearing of clothing in public that obscures a person’s face, except in limited cases defined by law, local media reported.
While the law does not explicitly name religious attire, it is widely understood to target garments such as the niqab, veils.
Under the new regulation, face-covering garments are only allowed in specific cases: when required by law, for official duties, medical reasons, protection from severe weather, for civil defense purposes or for participation in sports and cultural events.
Earlier reporting by Kursiv.media noted that Tokayev has voiced support for traditional attire that reflects Kazakhstan’s national identity, in contrast to garments that conceal the face.
Earlier, Kyrgyzstan passed a law in January 2025 banning the niqab in public places. Kyrgyz lawmakers argued that such religious clothing makes it difficult to identify individuals in government buildings and other public spaces.
Uzbekistan banned the wearing of burqas, veils that cover the entire face and body, in public in 2023, with the Ministry of Justice citing the need to maintain public order as the reason for the decision.
Reintroducing a controversial measure from Afghanistan’s 1995-2001 Taliban rule, the interim Taliban regime, in 2022, issued a decree barring women from leaving their homes without wearing the burqa.
