This is a draft submitted to the Central Asian Affairs journal for the special issue titled “Re/Claiming Bishkek” The War of Billboards: Hijab, Secularism, and Public Space in Bishkek Emil Nasritdinov, Nurgul Esenamanova Abstract In this paper, we explore how religion claims its space in the city of Bishkek. The growing community of practicing Muslims asserts the right to be in the city, live according to its religious ideals, and create Islamic urban spaces. Such claims do not remain uncontested and, because religious identity has strong visual manifestation, religious claims become the subject of strong public debate. This contestation overlaps with socially constructed gender hierarchies – religious/secular claims over the urban space turn into men’s claims over women with both sides (religious and secular) claiming to know what women should wear. Yet, as research shows, Kyrgyz women in Bishkek do not really need fashion advice. The Islamic revivalist movement among women in the Kyrgyz capital has since the 1990s created a strong momentum that has a life of its own and is fairly independent. Muslim women wearing a hijab today has become very visible and influential for urban actors with their own strong claims for the city. Keywords Kyrgyzstan, hijab, secularism, public space, national identity Introduction: The war of billboards In July 2016, the residents of Bishkek and many other cities and towns all across Kyrgyzstan woke up to see a large number of billboards with banners depicting three images next to each other. The first image portrayed a group of Kyrgyz women wearing traditional Kyrgyz dresses and elechek (traditional tall Kyrgyz head-dress). The second image included a group of women in white Islamic dresses, some with their faces covered, raising their hands in supplication. The third image was very dark: it depicted women in black Islamic garb, all with niqabs (Islamic face cover). The sign below asked, “Kairan elim, kaida baratabyz?” (“My poor people, where are we going?”). The banners were initiated by the head of an unknown private educational foundation, 1 but were later financially supported by the administration of 1 Gezitter.org (14.07.2016) Баннеры со слоганом "Кайран элим, кайда баратабыз?" вывесили по указанию главы частного просветительского фонда, last accessed at http://www.gezitter.org/society/51841_banneryi_so_sloganom_kayran_elim_kayda_baratabyiz_vyivesili_po_uk azaniyu_glavyi_chastnogo_prosvetitelskogo_fonda/ on 29.08.2016