The secular public, which not long ago was alarmed by «another manifestation of Islamization in Dagestan,» is now celebrating its small victory.
In case anyone does not know, we are talking about a video that has gone viral in the Russian-speaking world, in which the deputy director of the Madzhalis school in Dagestan, Adamkadi Kurbankadyev, does not allow schoolgirls to enter the school without headscarves.
Well, there is no dispute — in the conditions of a secular state, which Russia is supposed to be, the deputy director has exceeded the limits of the authority granted to him by its laws.
After all, according to the Constitution, religion is separated from the state, and everyone is free to choose their religious beliefs, or lack thereof, and cannot be forced to do so.
But here’s the thing — this deputy director was fired almost immediately after this story became public. And the story itself is extraordinary by Russian standards, you must agree.
The same cannot be said about the opposite. There are dozens of cases where girls and even adult women wearing headscarves and hijabs are banned from studying in state schools in different regions of Russia.
And unlike the director in this story who gives such instructions, they are not fired, especially not immediately, but usually persist and stand their ground.
So, dear advocates of secularism, there is no need to portray the situation as if Russia is «threatened by Islamization». In reality, such cases are rare exceptions, while Muslim individuals struggle to defend the right of their daughters to wear headscarves and hijabs voluntarily.