TASHKENT -- Uzbek authorities are advising women not to wear the Islamic veil, or hijab, during celebrations of the 18th anniversary of Uzbekistan’s independence on September 1.
Women in Uzbekistan have told RFE/RL’s Uzbek Service that in the run-up to the anniversary, police officers are approaching those wearing hijabs and checking their identity papers.
The officers told the women not to wear the hijab on September 1, because their loose-fitting clothes could be used by terrorists to conceal their identities or to hide explosives.