October 13, 2026
Azerbaijan is reportedly witnessing a wave of angry protests following new restrictions on school dress codes introduced by President Ilham Aliyev’s government, effectively preventing hijab-wearing students and teachers from entering schools, although the regulations do not explicitly mention the hijab.
▪️ September 21: Amendments to school uniform regulations were reportedly introduced under the banner of
“secular education.”
▪️ 37 Arrested: Authorities reportedly detained 37 people in connection with the protests, amid reports of students boycotting classes in solidarity with their hijab-wearing classmates.
▪️ Distressing footage has reportedly emerged showing teachers and students crying outside schools after effectively being forced to choose between wearing the hijab and accessing education or employment.
The striking political contradiction: President Aliyev, who leads a Muslim-majority country, maintains a close strategic partnership with Israel, including military and security cooperation, alongside a comprehensive strategic partnership with the United Arab Emirates.
What kind of secularism deprives girls of their education because of their religious beliefs? And where are the international organizations that claim to defend women’s rights and freedom of religion?
Women’s freedom does not mean forcing them to remove their hijabs, just as it does not mean forcing them to wear one.
Wearing the hijab is not a crime, and education is not a privilege granted by the authorities only to those willing to abandon their religious beliefs.