Azerbaijan Uniform Rules Prompt Hijab Protests

Azerbaijan’s new school uniform rules have prompted complaints that girls wearing hijabs are being excluded from classes, student boycotts and the detention of 37 people, according to the Interior Ministry. The rules do not explicitly mention the hijab, but parents and students say some schools have told girls to remove their headscarves or barred them from lessons. The Cabinet of Ministers approved the uniform amendment on September 21. It prohibits clothing deemed inconsistent with uniform requirements or the secular character of education, leaving school administrations to interpret how the provisions apply. The government has presented the rules as part of maintaining a secular educational environment. Parents and students have reported exclusions and protests at schools in Baku and other areas. Some pupils have boycotted lessons in solidarity with classmates who wear hijabs. The accounts provided do not establish how many children have been affected or how many schools have enforced the rules in this way. Azerbaijan’s Interior Ministry said 37 people were detained in connection with public-order incidents linked to the dispute.