The wearing of face-covering Islamic garments by female students will not be banned in Dagestan, the leader of Russia’s North Caucasus republic of Dagestan has said.
The statement came after two unknown gunmen killed a Dagestani school principal on July 9. Police said the shooting was likely to be revenge for his anti-extremist statements and a ban on face-covering veils introduced at his school.
“We are not introducing any bans [on full-face Islamic veils], but these are not our traditional clothes, and we are not in the favor of wearing niqabs at schools and universities,” Dagestani leader Magomedsalam Magomedov said.
Dagestan is one of the most volatile republics of the predominantly Muslim-populated North Caucasus, which also includes Chechnya.