Muslims in Russia may support ban on niqab

Deputy Chairman of the Spiritual Administration of Muslims of the Russian Federation, Mufti of Moscow Ildar Alyautdinov put forward a condition under which the ban on wearing the niqab in the country could be supported.

He said that officials should identify a direct connection between what Muslim women wear and the risk of growing extremism.

Alyautdinov added that in this case, the Russian Muslim Spiritual Administration would support the proposal of the Chairman of the Human Rights Council, Valery Fadeev, and the ban would serve to save the lives of Russians.

The Mufti emphasized that the clergy was always open to dialogue, especially on issues related to the safety of the people of Russia.

Previously, Fadeev spoke out against niqabs and called for a ban on wearing them in Russia. He noted that a ban on wearing it had been established in a number of countries where the majority of citizens were Muslim.