Azerbaijan Defends School Hijab Ban Amid Protests and Turkish Criticism

By كل العرب

Translated & summarized from Alarab by baba

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Arabic · 3 newsrooms covering

Azerbaijan is facing domestic protests and a diplomatic rift with Turkey over its new school uniform policy that effectively bans the hijab. Thirty-seven people were arrested for disrupting classes in Baku, while social media showed veiled women being denied entry to schools. Turkey has called the ban "unacceptable," but Azerbaijan's ruling party rejected the criticism as "populist" and defended the nation's secular stance and independent foreign policy.

The story in 6 lines · by baba

Azerbaijan implemented a strict school uniform policy effectively banning the hijab, sparking protests and a diplomatic crisis with Turkey.
Thirty-seven people were arrested in Baku for public disorder and property damage during protests against the hijab ban.
Social media showed veiled women being denied entry to educational institutions, with students seen crying.
Turkey criticized the ban as "unacceptable" and urged Azerbaijan to reverse the decision.
Azerbaijan's ruling party rejected Turkish criticism as "populist" and warned against interference in its internal affairs.
The ruling party defended Azerbaijan's secular nature and its foreign policy, including ties with Israel.

The Azerbaijani government has defended its decision to implement strict uniform regulations in public schools, which effectively prohibit female students and teachers from wearing the hijab. This policy has triggered domestic protests and a diplomatic dispute with Turkey, a close ally.

According to the Azerbaijani Interior Ministry, 37 individuals were arrested in the capital, Baku, for disturbing public order and damaging property during attempts to disrupt classes. Concurrently, activists reported difficulties accessing social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok, following the spread of videos showing veiled women being denied entry to educational institutions and students crying while embracing teachers barred from entering.

Diplomatically, the decision has caused discontent in Ankara. An advisor to the Turkish President and Turkish parliamentarians described the ban on veiled women's right to education as "unacceptable" and urged Baku to reverse the "mistake."

In response, Azerbaijan's ruling "New Azerbaijan" party issued a strong statement condemning the Turkish remarks as "populist and irresponsible." The party warned Ankara against interfering in its internal affairs or exploiting educational policies for political gain, emphasizing that the "one nation, two states" principle does not justify imposing ideological guardianship.

The ruling party reiterated the secular nature of the state and its institutions. It also rejected criticism from some Muslim countries, such as Iran and Turkey, regarding Azerbaijan's close ties with Israel, asserting that the country's foreign and domestic policies are based solely on international law and national interests.