On July 3, the Muftiate of Dagestan announced a temporary ban on the wearing of the niqab until identified threats are eliminated and a new theological conclusion is reached.

"The mufti, referring to the appeal of the Ministry of National Policy and Religious Affairs, which reports a security threat to the population of the republic, and based on the competent conclusion issued yesterday by the Fatwa Department, announces a temporary ban on wearing the niqab until the identified threats are eliminated and a new theological conclusion is made," said Abdullah Salimov, the deputy mufti of Dagestan.

Moreover, the Coordination Center of Muslims of the North Caucasus expressed support for a complete ban on the niqab in modern Russia. They recalled that most Islamic scholars do not consider an uncovered face to be an "awrah" - a part of the body that Muslims must cover in the presence of others - and recommended distinguishing between "hijab" and "niqab".

"We, Muslims of the North Caucasus, like our predecessor theologians, support the opinion of the majority of Islamic scholars that the niqab is not obligatory. The claim of some individuals that the face and hands are awrah in Islam is unreliable, inadmissible, and even forbidden in Islam if it causes discord and division in society. The niqab has never been a traditional form of dress for the North Caucasus. Moreover, even in some countries where Islam is the state religion, there is a total or partial ban on wearing the niqab in public places," the statement said.

The North Caucasus Muftiate emphasized the principle of "doing no harm to oneself, Islam and society as a whole." The theologians ruled that under the current conditions in Russia, wearing the niqab, burqa, or any head covering that hides the face causes practical harm to Muslims and threatens discord in interfaith and interethnic relations.
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