Alisher Kadyrov, a member of Uzbekistan’s Legislative Chamber and leader of the Milliy Tiklanish party, has commented publicly on the balance between secular freedoms and religious expression following pop star Jennifer Lopez’s high-profile concert in Tashkent.
In a post shared on his Telegram channel, Kadyrov reaffirmed that Uzbekistan is a secular state, where citizens are free to live as they choose, as long as they do not violate the law. He stressed that Uzbekistan’s laws guarantee equality and protect all citizens regardless of ethnicity or worldview.
Beer Fest and Same-sex Marriages
Addressing personal freedoms, Kadyrov used the example of the Beer Fest and Mangal Fest to illustrate his point.
«If someone wants to drink beer, they do. If someone doesn’t, they don’t. Neither side has to explain themselves to anyone.»
He noted that while drinking alcohol is legal, advertising it is not (although it is allowed to advertise beer).
Kadyrov also acknowledged that political dynamics could change those norms:
«If a political force wins a sweeping majority in Parliament, it could amend the law and declare alcohol a ‘national value’ or recognise same-sex marriage as a form of free choice. That’s within your rights,» he said, referring to the will of the electorate.
Jennifer Lopez’s Outfits
Turning to Jennifer Lopez’s concert, he described the event as a legitimate, private affair. «Lopez’s concert is a profitable and closed event,» he noted, adding that unless it promotes drugs or anti-state propaganda, it is allowed under the law.
He also defended the artist’s wardrobe choices:
«Her decision to show her body is her choice. Watching it is the choice of those who bought the tickets. That’s secularism.»
The Right to Wear Hijab
However, Kadyrov called for consistency in how society interprets secular values. He argued that just as the law protects the right to dress revealingly, it must also safeguard the right to dress modestly. «If we accepted nudity as an expression of secularism, we must also respect the right to cover up,» he said.
Kadyrov argued that just as no one dictated how Jennifer Lopez should dress, so religious women should also not be instructed on how to wear their headscarves, adding that the requirement to remove the hijab for ID photos should be reconsidered, since identification requires only the face to be visible, not the hair.
Alisher Kadyrov concluded by urging society to extend the same tolerance to devout women that it shows to celebrities, warning that secularism should not become a tool for the majority to impose its views on others.
Kadyrov emphasised that secularism should ensure equal treatment for both believers and non-believers, rather than allowing those with more power or influence to impose their way of life on others.
In a final cultural reference, Kadyrov added that «to understand Lopez’s dance, perhaps one needs to read Márquez and grasp world philosophy.»
Kursiv also published a photo report from Jennifer Lopez’s concert that took place in Tashkent on August 7.
