Azerbaijan: Headscarf ban in schools sparks protests

Azerbaijan: Headscarf Ban in Schools Sparks Protests October 18, 2026The protests have now lasted almost a week. Children are demonstrating against the headscarf ban introduced in schools. Girls who wear Islamic headscarves gather in front of the schools. Others, including boys, join their classmates out of solidarity. Public gatherings are generally rare in a country where the police regularly dissolves protests. Demonstrations by children in Azerbaijan, however, are unprecedented. When videos of the protests were spread on social media, there were disruptions to access to Instagram and TikTok in the country. This shows how sensitive the authorities react to the issue. The dispute over Islamic headscarves in Azerbaijani schools has also triggered an unusual exchange between politicians in Azerbaijan and Turkey. The leaders of both countries often speak of "one nation in two states." After a demonstration in front of the Azerbaijani consulate in Istanbul, the advisor to the Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Oktay Saral, said it was unacceptable to deny access to education to students because of wearing a headscarf. The ruling party New Azerbaijan countered that close relations did not justify interference in internal affairs. School Regulations Interpreted as a Headscarf Ban On July 7, Azerbaijan amended its Education Law and thus reaffirmed the principle of secular education. At the same time, it was stipulated that students and teachers must abide by the dress code. On September 21, the government further tightened the regulations for school uniforms. Accordingly, additional clothing items that deviate from the standard uniform or contradict the principle of secular education are prohibited. The hijab - the Muslim headscarf that covers the hair and neck - is not explicitly mentioned in this. The regulation also contains no instruction to exclude students with headscarves from class. Some school administrations nevertheless viewed the regulation as a headscarf ban and sent the affected girls home. The decision on compliance with the rules lies with the individual schools according to the regulation. On October 6, clothing regulations for teachers were also established. Following this, reports have increased that women wearing headscarves were prevented from teaching. Secular Education and Freedom of Religion Azerbaijan is predominantly Muslim. However, Article 18 of the Constitution stipulates the separation of state and religion and determines that state educational institutions must be secular. Articles 42 and 48 guarantee the right to education as well as freedom of conscience. Proponents of the schools' approach argue that the same clothing regulations should apply to all students. Critics argue, however, that excluding girls because of religious clothing violates their rights. Already in 2010 and in the following years, restrictions on headscarves in schools had sparked protests. Consequences for Families and Teachers A literature teacher from Baku reports to DW that girls with headscarves were not admitted to class at their school. Some removed their headscarves, others wanted to study from home in the future. The teacher, who wishes to remain anonymous, supports the new requirements. Children are, in their opinion, too young to decide about religious clothing themselves. A parent explained to DW that this was not a nationwide hijab ban but a matter of school uniforms. Another parent, who criticized the restrictions, withdrew an interview before publication. Sarraf Cabbarov from Baku wrote on Facebook that his daughter Sevil, a primary school teacher in the capital, had been dismissed because she refused to remove her headscarf. He also published a letter from the school in which his daughter was given a written warning based on the new clothing regulations. Arrests in Azerbaijan According to a statement from the Ministry of Interior, 37 people have been arrested since the protests began. They had pressured school staff, damaged property, and attempted to disrupt school operations and traffic. Criminal proceedings for disturbing public order have been initiated against them. The Ministry did not provide information about the identity of those arrested and did not state whether children were among them. The artist and activist Ilkin Huseynov disappeared after starting a project that aimed to connect volunteer tutors with students who are affected by the restrictions. Local media later reported that he was sentenced to 30 days in prison for alleged disregard of police instructions. Some observers see in the new school uniform regulations an attempt by the Azerbaijani government to counteract the influence of the neighboring country Iran and the growing strength of religious groups in the country. Representatives of the government also argue similarly, but do not explicitly name Iran. Amnesty International condemned the exclusion of girls with the hijab and called for the release of all persons arrested for peaceful protests. An adaptation from the English by Sabine Faber.