Russia relaxes laws as it allows hijab in the photos required for citizenship documents. A hijab is allowed as far as the face is uncovered in the photos. The rules have been relaxed for foreign citizens applying for citizens.
The Interior Ministry of Russia said on Wednesday that they will allow hijabs, and headscarves in passport photographs. The new law will come into force from May 5th, 2024.
“In cases where the religious beliefs of the applicant do not allow them to appear in front of strangers without a head covering, photographs are to be provided in head coverings that do not hide the oval of the face,” the document states. However, pictures that cover the chin full or partially will not be allowed.
The new rules will “allow believers to observe religious traditions,” while also ensuring “the security of the state,” as the “face, like other data, is needed so that video monitoring systems can identify a person,” State Duma Security and Anti-Corruption Committee member Biysultan Khamzaev told the Russian Parliamentary Gazette.
Russia, according to President Putin, is a nation with many different ethnicities and religions. He emphasizes that the country values all these groups, with some numbering in the millions. Islam is among the leading religions in Russia.
Read more: Quran is sacred for Muslims, it should be sacred for others too: Vladimir Putin
Russian President Vladimir Putin said that Quran is sacred for Muslims and it should be sacred for others, too, on Thursday during a visit to a mosque in Russia on Eid-ul-Adha.
“We know that in other countries they treat it differently — they do not respect people’s religious feelings and then also dare to say that it is not a crime,” said Putin after being gifted a copy of the Quran during his visit to the mosque.
Putin visited the Juma Mosque in Russia on the occasion of Eid-ul-Adha last year. The mosque is known as the oldest in Russia.
His comments came on the occasion of the desecration of the Quran in Sweden last year. In his statement, he added that burning or the desecration of the Quran is a crime in Russia.