Al Jazeera: ‘To guarantee the secularity of the state. Tensions with Turkey’
The Azerbaijani government’s decision to indirectly ban students and school staff from wearing the hijab at school has sparked protests and opened veiled diplomatic tensions with Turkey. Al Jazeera writes it.
The amendment approved last month did not introduce an explicit ban on the Islamic headscarf, but it prohibited the wearing of clothing in school that, according to the government, violates the “principle of secularism”. Some schools have started to prevent students and teachers from attending lessons.
Authorities have reported 37 arrests linked to the unrest in Baku, while the controversy has sparked a wider debate over religious freedom, secularism and access to education, writes Jordanian media outlet Roya News.
About 96% of Azerbaijan’s population declares itself Muslim. The Constitution defines the country as secular, while guaranteeing religious freedom. The move sparked protests and a social media campaign in Azerbaijan.
Tensions on the issue, however, spread to Türkiye, and some demonstrators gathered outside the Azerbaijani consulate in Istanbul to protest against the restrictions. Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev issued a veiled criticism of Turkey – a close ally of Azerbaijan – over the protests. During a speech at the congress of his party, “New Azerbaijan”, Aliyev asked not to “interfere with our way of life”, without however explicitly mentioning Turkey. The Ankara authorities have not officially responded.
