Stories
Hijab ban sparks outrage in Azerbaijan as weeping students are locked out of colleges
- •The government of Azerbaijan has enforced a new dress code effectively banning the hijab in educational institutions.
- •Schoolgirls and teachers wearing hijabs were turned away at the gates, sparking global outrage.
- •Authorities claim the measure upholds secularism, despite the country having a 96 percent Muslim population.
- •Protesting students have boycotted classes, and numerous citizens have been arrested for speaking out.
- •The controversy has strained relations between Azerbaijan and its close ally, Turkey.
Key Questions Answered
The Azerbaijani government introduced a new dress code decree for schools and state educational institutions, prohibiting any attire that goes against the country's principle of secularism, which resulted in hijab-wearing students and teachers being turned away at school gates.
Impacted students and teachers protested the new rules by boycotting classes, while weeping schoolgirls and distressed teachers gathered outside school gates. Additionally, journalist Polad Aslanov launched a hunger strike from prison against the law, and citizens took to the streets in protest.
Protesters in Turkey staged a massive demonstration outside the Azerbaijani embassy in Istanbul demanding the withdrawal of the ban, which angered Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, who warned against foreign interference in their lifestyle. Meanwhile, Turkish President Erdogan noted at the UN that discrimination against Muslim women is rising.
