Azerbaijan’s government approved amendments that stopped short of explicitly banning the hijab but barred clothing in schools that the government said violates the “principle of secularism,” and the measure sparked protests as some schools began preventing students and teachers from attending classes.
Teacher Zahra Hasanova told Al Jazeera that she was informed she could no longer wear the hijab at school, and she said, “To be honest, I am a little emotional. I am hurt,”.
The state-run Azerbaijani Press Agency (APA) said the amendment to the Descriptions of Uniforms for Students of State General Education Institutions aimed to ensure a unified dress code that reflects the country’s “secular principle,” and the APA added that clothing reflecting “history, culture, and national and moral values of the Azerbaijani people” may be worn for celebrations pending approval by the Pedagogical Council.
The APA said the rules were designed so that teachers reflect “professional standards” and would have positive effects on the “school’s public reputation,” while the constitution defines Azerbaijan as secular and also guarantees religious freedom.
What some reports left out
Some protests involve clashes and attempts to set fires
Reported by: Meduza and Al Jazeera
Not found in: خبرگزاری صدای افغان(آوا), JAMnews, PressTV
Protests and boycotts spread as videos circulated showing students hugging their teachers and crying as they were turned away from schools, and local media reported that students in at least two schools boycotted classes in protest against the restrictions. Azerbaijan’s Interior Ministry announced the arrest of 37 people in connection with incidents over compliance with school uniform rules, and JAMnews said parents demanding that schools allow their children to attend lessons now face criminal proceedings.
Meduza reported that Azerbaijani authorities arrested 37 people in Baku over protests against new school uniform rules, and it said protesters tried to disrupt school operations and traffic. Meduza also reported that a criminal case had been opened on charges of “organizing actions that disrupt public order, or actively participating in such actions,” and it said the maximum penalty under that charge is up to three years in prison.
Protests also spread to Turkiye, where demonstrators gathered outside Azerbaijan’s consulate in Istanbul to protest restrictions affecting Muslim women and called on authorities in Baku to reconsider the decision.
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev issued a veiled criticism of Turkiye in a speech at his New Azerbaijan Party congress, warning not to “interfere with our lifestyle” without directly mentioning Turkiye.
The American-Islamic Relations Council (CAIR) urged the foreign ministry of Azerbaijan to lift the veil ban for students and school staff and to put religious freedom guarantees on the agenda, and the organization called the restriction an action against the Muslim community and the principle of religious freedom.
CAIR urged the U.S. State Department to persuade the government of Azerbaijan to lift the veil restriction and ensure religious freedom for all citizens, while the dispute continued to be framed around the government’s justification for secular education and uniform dress standards.