Azerbaijan Pushes School Hijab Ban Citing "Secular Principles"; Jailed Journalist on Hunger Strike; Solidarity Protests Erupt in Turkey

Some schools in Azerbaijan have begun blocking teachers and students who wear the hijab from entering campus. According to Al Jazeera reports, the Azerbaijani government approved amendments last month to the "Description of the Uniform of Students of State General Education Institutions," indirectly prohibiting the Muslim headscarf on campus on grounds of violating "secular principles."

Approximately 96 percent of Azerbaijan's population adheres to Islam. While the country's constitution stipulates the state is secular, it also explicitly guarantees religious freedom. The official Azerbaijani state news agency APA said the amendments aim to ensure unified dress standards in line with the country's "secular principles"; attire reflecting "the historical, cultural, national and moral values of the Azerbaijani people" may be worn at celebrations if approved by the teaching committee under the Ministry of Education. The body also stressed that teachers' attire must reflect "professional standards" and carry positive significance for the "public image" of students and schools.

"To be honest, I'm a bit emotional. I feel hurt. Wearing the hijab is a personal choice, and if one day I want to take it off, that should be my choice too." Teacher Zahra Hasanova told Al Jazeera that she had been told she could no longer wear the hijab to school. According to local media reports, students at least two schools in Azerbaijan have staged boycotts of classes to protest the related restrictions. Videos circulating online show students embracing teachers and weeping when refused entry to school.

Journalist Polad Aslanov, who was convicted of "treason" in 2020 and is currently serving a 113-year sentence, has launched a hunger strike in protest against the new regulations. In a statement posted on Facebook by his wife, Gulmira Aslanova, he wrote: "Despite being behind bars, I am using the only means of struggle available to me — a hunger strike — to resist the trampling of our constitutional rights!" Reports regarding internet disruptions have not yet been independently verified by monitoring organizations such as the Open Observatory and NetBlocks.

The wave of solidarity subsequently spread to Turkey. Demonstrators gathered outside the Azerbaijani consulate in Istanbul last week to protest the restrictions targeting Muslim women and called on Baku authorities to reconsider the related decision. Some drew parallels between the current situation and Turkey's 1997 "postmodern coup" — when Turkey barred hijab-wearing women from universities and dismissed them from or forced them to resign from civil service positions.

Azerbaijani President Aliyev, speaking at a New Azerbaijan Party congress, issued an unnamed warning against "interfering with our way of life"; the Turkish government has not formally responded to Aliyev's remarks. Turkish President Erdogan, meanwhile, addressed the UN General Assembly on September 23, noting that Muslim women are facing increasingly serious discrimination.