Video shared with false claim that mosque turned into dance hall in Tajikistan
A video has circulated on social media claiming that a mosque in Tajikistan was turned into a dance hall. Earlier, several Pakistani media outlets also reported on this claim based on a post on X (formerly Twitter). However, Dismislab’s fact-check found that the building claimed to be a mosque is actually a cultural and historical complex inside Khujand Fortress in Tajikistan. The video shows a cultural performance held at Khujand Fortress to celebrate the Iranian New Year, Nowruz.
A video showing women dancing in traditional attire in front of a structure was shared with the caption, “Tajikistan, where 97% of people are Muslims, has banned hijab and turned mosques into dance halls.” In the comments, one user said, “This country is hypocritical under the name of Islam,” while another wrote, “If this is true, then the Day of Judgment is not far.” The post from October 31 has been viewed by 70,000 Facebook users.
Several Pakistani media outlets also published reports (1, 2) with the same claim. These reports were based on a post on X that read, “Tajikistan, a 97% Muslim-majority nation that had already banned burqas and hijabs, is now turning mosques into dance halls to fight radicalization. Do you like this idea?” The post from September 28 has been shared 5,000 times and viewed by 2.3 million users.
Reverse image search found video reports, published on March 30 and April 1, on the Persian edition of the British media outlet The Independent on Facebook and Instagram (1, 2). The video caption read, “Khurshed Sattorov, a Tajik fashion designer, shared a video of Nowruz dance and music performances near the Grand Mosque of Tajikistan in the city of Dushanbe on the eve of Sizdah Bedar.”
Following The Independent Persian source, Dismislab found several videos of the same event on Khurshed Sattarov’s Instagram account, posted on March 31 and April 1. One of the videos exactly matches the viral video. Sattarov wrote, “Words cannot express my gratitude to our models, choreographers, and videographers for their incredible contribution to the ‘International Nowruz of Tajikistan’ project in the historic city of Khujand.” He used hashtags such as #Tajikistan, #Khujand, and #Nowruz. Multiple sources confirm that the event was organized for Nowruz and Sizdah Bedar celebrations. This year, Sizdah Bedar was celebrated on April 2.
However, there are conflicting reports regarding the location of the event. The Independent Persian mentioned Dushanbe’s Grand Mosque, while Sattarov identified it as Khujand. Dushanbe is Tajikistan’s capital and political center, home to the president’s office, the Grand Mosque, and other main government buildings. Khujand, on the other hand, is a historic city in the Sughd region in northern Tajikistan, known for its ancient Khujand Fortress. The two cities are more than 200 kilometers apart.
Keyword searches show that the structure in the video does not match the Grand Mosque of Dushanbe. Reverse image searches of key frames from the video identify the site as the historic “Khujand Fortress” in Khujand city. Tajikistan’s state news agency Khovar described it as a “cultural and historical complex.” A report from April 23 stated, “The cultural and historical complex has been opened to locals and tourists. The historic fortress was recently inaugurated in the presence of the Leader of the Nation, Emomali Rahmon. The nearly 3,000-year-old fortress was rebuilt with funding from the Sughd regional administration.”
Earlier, an exhibition was held there on March 3, 2024, to mark Tajikistan’s 33rd Independence Day. The website of the National Museum of Tajikistan also refers to the site as the “Cultural and Historical Complex, Khujand Fortress.”
According to multiple Uzbek media outlets (1, 2) and official government websites (1, 2), on March 31, presidents Shavkat Mirziyoyev of Uzbekistan, Emomali Rahmon of Tajikistan, and Sadyr Japarov of Kyrgyzstan attended a summit in Khujand. During the summit, they visited Khujand Fortress as part of the cultural program.
This confirms that the event took place in front of the cultural and historical complex inside Khujand Fortress, not at the Grand Mosque in Dushanbe. The dance performance for the Nowruz celebration was held at Khujand Fortress, not in a mosque. Therefore, the claim that a mosque was turned into a dance hall is misleading.
Notably, according to a Euronews report from June 24, 2024, the Tajik government passed a new law banning hijab under a series of 35 religious regulations. The government described it as a step to “protecting national cultural values” and “preventing superstition and extremism.”
On June 20, 2024, the upper house of parliament, “Majlisi Milli,” approved the law, which bans the use of “foreign clothing,” including hijabs worn by Muslim women. Instead, citizens are encouraged to wear traditional Tajik attire. Earlier in 2009, the government banned hijabs in government offices, universities, and other public institutions.
