"Hijab Case" and Conscience "Freedom" in Ukrainian Legislation
The first in the history of Ukraine judicial case of a Muslim woman against the Ministry of Internal Affairs with the requirement to be photographed on the passport with her hijab on – a traditional Islamic scarf, caused active discussion in the Ukrainian society. The right to a photo in a scarf, and also other issues connected with the accruing tendency of fear and hostility to hijab as to one of the factors of Islamophobia in Ukraine and in the world, became a topic of the discussion organized and carried out by the Muslims of Crimea.
Last years in Ukraine it became fashionable to speak about "democratic character" of the state which is reflected in the rights of its citizens, however, the "hijab case" testifies to contradictions of the Ukrainian democracy in theory and in practice. The feature of this question consists also that in Ukraine it concerns mostly Crimea where live more than 350 thousand Crimean Tatars, - the native people of the peninsula, - who are Muslims by the religion.
The participants of the discussion noticed that the Crimean Tatars who endured violent deportation of 1944 and came back to Crimea, have the right to demand from the Ukrainian state observance of rights of all ethnoses living in Ukraine. Nowadays women who expressed desire to be photographed on the passport with their hijab on, without breaking Islamic canons, encounter set of barriers.
The law of Ukraine on freedom of worship resolves to profess one's religion freely, but "does not prescribe highlights, such as the right to prayer, the right to wear hijab and other important issues".
Negative perception of a girl wearing hijab
Besides, Muslims of Ukraine face not only indecision of these issues at the legislative level, but also negative perception of girls wearing hijab in the Ukrainian society.
"I am not an ethnic Muslim, but I converted to Islam voluntary and I am very glad of it. The society which surrounds me is mainly Christian. As I was born in the ethnic Christian family, of course, there was inadequate reaction from my relatives; up to that they forbade me to wear hijab not to dishonor the family. Then I faced discrimination on my working place as everybody were used to see me with open appearance", the participant of the discussion, Juliana Kravchenko states.
Conclusions
During the discussion were made the conclusions that "it is necessary to carry out training programs on Islam studying at schools of Ukraine where they are introduced the lessons about Christianity. These programs would let explain Islam as religion of justice, cleanliness and morals correctly ".
In Ukraine it should be understood that "Islam is a different creed, but not terrorism and extremism as they try to present it nowadays". Besides, "it is necessary to develop a legal mechanism of the decision of the given problem".
By QHA
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