School headscarf ban sparks rare protests in Azerbaijan and row with Turkey

What the report says

A dispute over new school uniform rules in Azerbaijan has led to uncommon street protests and a public clash with Turkey. According to BBC World News, the education ministry began enforcing rules last Monday that have resulted in girls wearing hijabs being turned away from state schools. Demonstrations have since been reported outside schools in Baku and in several southern districts, including Masally and Jalilabad, with some video circulating widely on social media. Authorities said 37 people were detained for trying to obstruct the rules and disturb public order.

The BBC says the policy, approved on 21 September, bars clothing that contradicts secular principles in state education, though it does not name the hijab directly. Officials have defended the measures, while critics argue that pupils are being blocked from class over religious dress. The report also describes a broader response, including an online project set up to offer lessons to students prevented from attending school.

The issue has widened into a diplomatic row with Turkey, Azerbaijan’s closest ally. Turkish officials and some ruling-party figures criticized the restrictions, while Baku accused them of interference and defamatory remarks. The BBC notes that the tensions come against a wider backdrop of Azerbaijan’s secular system, its predominantly Shia Muslim population, and the government’s close monitoring of religious influence, especially from neighboring Iran.