Raihon's story

Raihon Hudoyberganova was an undergraduate student at the Islamic Affairs Department of the Tashkent State Institute in Uzbekistan. She is a Muslim and she dresses in the manner that she believes is prescribed by her religion. She wears a "hijab" - a headscrarf.

In her thrid year at the Institute, she along with other students who wears the hijab were given a special invitation by the Institute. It was an invitation to leave the Institute and to study at the Tashkent Islamic Institute instead!!!!

The invitation was declined.

2 months later, her father was invited to the Institute and he was told that Raihon was in touch with a dangerous religion group that that she wore a hijab to the Institute. Raihon was taken home by her father.

But she returned less than a month later - and this prompted the University authorities to call her parents and complained about her attire.

Raihon alleges that subsequently, she was threatened and there were attempts to prevent her from attending classes.

The following month, a new regulation was adopted where students in the institute had no right to wear religious dress. Raihon signed it under protest. She was summoned into one of the Deputy Dean's office and was asked to take off her hijab.

In the following month, the Islamic Affairs Department was closed and Raihon was told that it may reopen if the students ceased to wear the hijab.

Finally, on 25th March 1998, Raihon was informed of an Order by the Rector which excluded her from the Institute based on her alleged negative attitude towards the professors and on a violation of the provisions of the Institute's regulations. She was also informed that if she ceased wearing the hijab, the order would be annulled.

She refused to give in and betray her faith and believes. She was thus refused to be allowed to continue her studies.

The UN Human Rights Committee on 5th November 2004 found that there was a violation of Article 18 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights which prohibits any coercion that would impair the individual's freedom to have or adopt a religion. Uzbekistan was held to therefore provide Raihon with an effective remedy and is under an obligation to take measures to prevent similar violations in the future.

p/s - you can read the Human Rights Committee's decision here.