Azerbaijan’s Governing Party Defends School Uniform Rules After Hijab Dispute
The government says the rules protect secular education, while 37 people were detained after protests over headscarf restrictions, officials said.
- On Tuesday, Azerbaijan defended school uniform rules that prohibit clothing incompatible with secular education, following protests this week after pupils wearing Islamic headscarves were denied entry to schools.
- The Interior Ministry detained 37 people on Monday for disrupting public order while opposing the rules, which were introduced last month to enforce the secular character of state education.
- Oktay Saral, an adviser to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, wrote on Monday that denying education to students wearing headscarves is "unacceptable," stating, "A headscarf is not an obstacle; it is a requirement of religious belief."
- The Yeni Azerbaijan Party condemned Saral's comments as "populist and irresponsible" on Tuesday, asserting that the principle of "one nation, two states" does not justify interference in domestic affairs.
- Azerbaijan warned Ankara against using education policies for political purposes, noting Turkey is also constitutionally secular. The dispute highlights challenges Baku faces in enforcing secularism within its predominantly Muslim population.
21 Articles
21 Articles
Baku arrests dozens as hijab ban empties schools
TEHRAN — “I don’t have a single B on my report card. Is this the respect I get?” The girl standing at the school gate was crying, and the officials in front of her did not move. “Have I ever done anything wrong? And now you’re telling me I can’t enter the school. Why should I have to give up my religion?”
Azerbaijan's governing party defends school uniform rules ...
The decision of the government of Azerbaijan to indirectly ban students and school staff from wearing hijab at school has triggered protests and open veiled diplomatic tensions with Turkey. Al Jazeera writes. (ANSA)
Azerbaijan's governing party defends school uniform rules after hijab dispute
BAKU, Oct 13 - Azerbaijan defended on Tuesday its decision to introduce school uniform rules that have led to protests over restrictions on Islamic headscarves, and told close ally Turkey to stay out of its domestic affairs. Read more at straitstimes.com.
The restrictions on school uniforms in Azerbaijan, which have returned female students under cover from the doors of their schools, have provoked an outrage in Turkey, including in the press, parties and the street.
The article describes a serious strain in relations between Azerbaijan and Turkey, caused by new restrictions on the dress code for students that sparked protests over the wearing of the Islamic headscarf in schools. Baku warned Ankara not to interfere in its internal affairs, responding to criticism from close associates of Recep Tayyip Erdogan, after the arrest of 37 people.
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