"Dozhd" TV Channel's film about Dagestani women actualizes debates on women's rights

According to a number of social networks users, the stories of three women from Dagestan, who had to sever the ties with their relatives and friends and leave the Muslim community, speak of the process of the society's archaization. The film "The Women who Took Their Hijabs Off" mix up local customs and family problems with Islam, critics argue.

The Russian "Dozhd" (Rain) TV Channel has launched a documentary series about people fleeing orthodox religious communities. The first episode of the project, aired on November 18, is dedicated to Muslim women from Dagestan and is called "The Women who Took Their Hijabs Off". In the film, three young women who left the Muslim community of Dagestan describe their fates. The filmmakers note that they "were not disappointed in the Almighty, but were not ready to live under the laws of the increasingly conservative society: without education, behind closed doors, with their heads covered, and without freedom of choice."

The film caused a strong reaction on social networks. YouTube user Golden State Warriors supported the women whose fates had been described in the film. "Well done, girls. I am a Dagestani man, and I support you. We have a wild society," the user wrote in his comment.

Many other users of social networks also expressed their sympathy for the Dagestani women who abandoned life according to the norms of traditional society.

Meanwhile, a number of social network users considered the presentation of the information about violations of women's rights in Dagestan to be incorrect. "What does religion have to do with it and why do you speak of Islam? <...> Are there no more dysfunctional families in the whole world? <...> You are already openly coming out against Islam with your attacks!" Aleksei Grin writes today while addressing the filmmakers.

"Don't confuse Islam and customs: these are two different concepts," user Abd Rab has urged today. "Why do you associate adats (local customary practices observed by a Muslim community, – note of the 'Caucasian Knot') and human mistakes with Islam?" user Rugnus S notes in turn.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on November 23, 2020 at 03:48 pm MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.