Armenia will introduce a new biometric identification system on 1 November, with citizens set to receive passports containing electronic chips and a new generation of national ID cards. The reform is intended to make Armenian identity documents compatible with international authentication systems and, in the longer term, allow their holders to pass through automated border gates.
The Spiritual Administration of Muslims of the Astrakhan Region recommended believers to refrain from wearing niqabs in public places. They explained that such clothing is associated with high risks of Islamophobia in society, and under certain circumstances can negatively affect public safety measures. The corresponding message was published after a meeting of members of the Spiritual Administration of Muslims chaired by the Mufti of the Astrakhan Region Rauf Hazrat Dzhantasov.
Recently, at the Festival of New Media, the press secretary of the President of the Russian Federation Dmitry Peskov voiced his position regarding the ban on wearing niqabs.
“We live in a time when situations arise that require ensuring security. And, of course, in these situations, people with covered faces contradict the tasks that law enforcement agencies face,” he noted.
Earlier, the muftiates of Dagestan, Karachay-Cherkessia and North Ossetia effectively introduced a temporary ban on wearing niqabs. They explained this decision by safety considerations for the population. Allegedly, a woman in such clothes can carry weapons and other dangerous objects.