Unusual protest: Israel's Muslim ally bans hijab in schools
An unusual protest in Azerbaijan following the enforcement of regulations banning religious dress in state schools, interpreted as a ban on wearing the hijab. Students and parents demonstrated outside schools, and police arrested at least 37 people. The secular Azerbaijani government prohibits clothing items that violate the 'principle of secularism' in the education system.
An unusual protest in Azerbaijan: authorities began enforcing new regulations banning religious dress in state schools, regulations interpreted as a ban on wearing the hijab. Azerbaijan, a Shia Muslim country, is under secular rule that upholds secular and republican values. The government amendments, approved by the cabinet of ministers, do not explicitly mention the Muslim headscarf but prohibit clothing items that violate the 'principle of secularism'. Following the regulations, school principals prevent students and teachers wearing the hijab from entering classrooms, and require teachers to remove it or resign. The wave of protests, rare in the authoritarian country, included school shutdowns and demonstrations by students and parents outside educational institutions. Azerbaijan's Interior Ministry announced the arrest of at least 37 people on suspicion of clashes with educational staff and disruption of public order, along with initiating criminal proceedings against protesting parents. The events sparked a storm on social media, where videos of expelled students in tears spread, and led to reports of deliberate internet disruptions aimed at curbing the expansion of the protest.