The Russian mass media has reported that a new set of unwritten rules on dress code for school girls, from the pro-Russian government in the Russian occupied Chechen Republic of Ichkeria, is mandatory at all educational establishments.

According to the information, since the beginning of June, a new order has begun to apply in the Russian occupied Chechen Republic of Ichkeria. This new rule forces female students and teachers to wear the hijab. The students are required to wear it from their first class in primary school until graduation from university.

“Students and teachers have discussed the secret decree of the authorities that all female students and teachers should be dressed in accordance with their rules of Islam. However it is not a just tying a headscarf around their head, which is a custom inside Chechen society, but they all have to wear the hijab. We have been warned that if a female comes to university to study or work without the hijab, they will be kicked out. Most have already obeyed the new rule, but the rest are afraid that they will be kicked from their positions,” said a teacher at Grozny State University.

“Teachers told us that all girls must wear the hijab regardless of age. If someone comes to the school without the hijab, then the director will warn her, but if she does not wear it a second time, they will kick her out of the school,” said Aliya, 8th grade student at a school in Grozny.

“We went to class wearing headscarves, as it is a Chechen tradition and we were not opposed it. However, the hijab is part of an Arabic dress code, it is not mine and it is too much for us,” said Malika Ibragimova, a student at Grozny State University.

“They nagged us not just about the hijab, but also about high heels and nail polish,” said another student.

On the other hand, another problem is the price of the hijabs, because students are not allowed to wear what they want. Since this rule was implemented, students are required to wear uniforms that are purchased at a special high school shop where the prices are not open to negotiation.

“A school uniform is around 2000 Ruble (around 50 Euro) and I have four children. If it was just the school uniform, maybe it would be possible, but we also need to buy shoes, jackets, briefcases, books, and writing materials. All of these things should be ready for September 1. They do not even give a discount if you have a lot of children. Where am I supposed to find this amount of money,” complained Malika Kasieva, a Chechen mother.

According to unofficial surveys which were carried out in the Russian occupied Chechen Republic of Ichkeria, only 15% of girls want to wear the hijab while 75% of girls do not want to wear the hijab. The rest are uncertain.

Recall that so-called Islamic dress codes started to apply in 2007, after a visit from Ramzan Kadyrov to Grozny State University. He was not happy with the appearance of female Chechen students and decided how the school girls and female workers should be dressed.

*Text was written by Waynakh Online and edited by Michael Capobianco