Tensions with teachers, pupils and Turkiye: Inside Azerbaijan’s hijab row

What the report says

Al Jazeera reports that a dispute over hijab restrictions in Azerbaijan’s public schools has escalated into a wider confrontation involving teachers, students, state officials and even relations with Turkiye. The article focuses on Baku English teacher Gulshan Aliyeva, who said she was refused entry to her school this week while wearing a headscarf, and that her daughter was also kept out of school. Aliyeva said the new rules threaten her work and her child’s education, while schools in the capital are being monitored for compliance.

According to the report, the education rules introduced last month do not name the hijab directly, but bar pupils from clothing seen as conflicting with secular principles in education. The Ministry of Internal Affairs said 37 people had been detained for disrupting public order during protests over the issue. Religious and political figures voiced differing views: the head of the Caucasus Muslims Board called the hijab an important religious duty, while an opposition party leader said restrictions on teachers are inappropriate and student dress should be discussed more carefully. Some residents and officials defended the policy as part of Azerbaijan’s uniform dress code and secular education system.

The controversy has also drawn attention from Ankara. A Turkish presidential adviser criticized the move, prompting Azerbaijan’s ruling party to say such comments could damage ties between the allies. The article says the dispute highlights a broader constitutional tension in Azerbaijan between secular education rules and freedom of conscience, leaving affected families to consider legal challenges.