On Wednesday, Islamic authorities in Russia's predominantly Muslim North Caucasus region of Dagestan imposed a temporary ban on women wearing the niqab full-face veil, following a series of attacks on churches and synagogues that claimed 22 lives last month.
The Dagestan Muftiate announced the 'temporary' prohibition in a statement on the Telegram messenger app, citing an appeal from Russia's Ministry of Nationality Policy and Religious Affairs. Reports from the June 23 attacks indicated that one of the assailants had intended to flee wearing a niqab.
The muftiate, a religious body representing Dagestani Muslims, stated that the ban would remain in effect 'until the identified threats are eliminated and a new theological conclusion is reached'. Although only a small fraction of Dagestani women don full-face veils, niqabs are a frequent sight in the region's larger cities. Similar veils are prohibited by law in several European and post-Soviet countries.
Twenty-two individuals were killed in coordinated attacks on Orthodox churches, synagogues, and police checkpoints across Dagestan on June 23. Security forces reported killing five attackers in gun battles that resulted in a synagogue in the city of Derbent being severely damaged by fire.
