Tajikistan has enacted a legal ban on the wearing of hijabs, long beards, and Arab-style clothing.

Axar.az reports according to local media, these forms of dress and appearance have been deemed inconsistent with the country's national traditions.

Particular emphasis has been placed on banning the wearing and import of clothing considered "alien to Tajik culture."

The authorities say the measures are intended to counter religious radicalism and extremism.

Local officials have launched public awareness campaigns encouraging women to wear traditional Tajik clothing, while law enforcement agencies have stepped up monitoring of men with beards associated with religious extremism.