Photo from social media
Authorities in Atyrau have launched a criminal investigation after a photo surfaced showing four women in niqabs holding a modified version of Kazakhstan’s national flag featuring Arabic script, Kursiv.kz reports. The case is being pursued under the legal provision concerning desecration of state symbols, which carries a maximum penalty of two years in prison.
The photo, taken at a local ice rink, has been widely shared on social media in recent days. All four individuals depicted in the image have been identified and brought in for questioning.
«Two of them are minors, so their statements are being taken in the presence of their parents. Other details cannot be disclosed due to the ongoing investigation,» the regional police department stated.
Kazakh political analyst Gaziz Abishev commented on the incident in his Telegram channel, saying, “Defacing the Kazakh flag by adding foreign symbols will not go unpunished. Even if this wasn’t a deliberate provocation but mere thoughtlessness, it is still an act of reckless provocation.”
The inscription on the flag is the Shahada, the Islamic declaration of faith, which affirms belief in Allah and the prophethood of Muhammad. A similar inscription appears on the national flag of Saudi Arabia.
According to Orda.kz, law enforcement sources indicated that the altered flag had been purchased from an Instagram-based store. The news outlet cmn.kz further noted that such flags are readily available for purchase on a well-known online marketplace.
