Multiple media outlets report that female teachers and female students are not allowed to receive and impart education in Azerbaijan for wearing the hijab. The government has banned the hijab through the approval of Resolution No. 309 by the Cabinet of Ministers on the grounds of secularism in September 2026, but it forgets that democracy gives every citizen the right to practice his/her respective religion. There is no clash between secularism and hijab. Secularism does not prohibit hijab as part of an outfit, but certain governments do. This is a violation of human rights.
Female teachers are taking classes outside the school because they are not allowed to enter. Female students are crying and waiting outside the classroom window, trying to follow the lesson being taught. Male students are showing their support and anger in response to this decision. Many people are protesting. The government wanted to implement the decision in the country before, but in the face of widespread backlash, it eased the enforcement. It is now implementing the same decision again in state schools to show that it has a plan to separate religion from the secular world. But the government forgets that the way the separation of the state from the church took place in Europe is not applicable everywhere.
It is well-known and relevant to say that the Catholic church was very powerful and could punish anyone who went against its positions. In the 16th century, Giordano Bruno was burned alive for rejecting the Trinity, the deity of Jesus, and supporting the Copernican idea that the sun was at the center of the universe and not retracting his statement. Galileo Galilei was placed under house arrest until his death for advocating heliocentrism. So, over time, people grew disillusioned with the Church. For various reasons, people subsequently managed to separate secular life from the influence of the Church in the 18th century through the French Revolution.
The French government banned Muslim female students from wearing the hijab in schools in 2004 based on secularism. Several other European countries also partially banned the hijab based on this. France, like other European countries, bore the brunt of the church’s excessive power. Azerbaijan is replicating this secularism. But secular education cannot necessarily impose values that go against people’s religious fervor. Many Western countries, including the US, Poland, the United Kingdom, and Ireland, allow it in educational institutions. Azerbaijan should not forget that this is not the inevitable destination, and religious rights are fundamental rights.
Azerbaijan remained part of the Soviet Union from 1920 to 1991, during which state atheism became dominant. As a result, mosques were made useless through destruction or given a new identity. Religious education was banned, and the public display of religious faith was prohibited. More than seventy years of Soviet rule have helped firmly institutionalize the strictly controlled model of the state-sponsored secularism in Azerbaijan. Today, state surveillance is so oppressive that religious sermons are scripted by the state, and due to that socialist legacy, wearing hijab is still considered akin to bringing religion to secular institutions like schools. Despite Shiism being the dominant religion in Azerbaijan, people are discouraged from celebrating Ashura with self-flagellation.
Political and other proponents of the ban on hijab see it as a measure to maintain a standardized educational environment. Dr. Vasif Huseynov, Head of the Western Studies Department at the Centre for Analysis of International Relations and Multiculturalism, said that this ban on hijab is not about any specific religion but is meant to ensure a neutral environment for learners. It is quite interesting that, although he talks about multiculturalism, he overlooks the question of cultural rights, which grant people the right to practice their culture without any opposition from the state.
As wearing a hijab does not harm anyone, it should be allowed to continue in Azerbaijan. A state that is supposed to safeguard its citizens’ rights cannot put them in a perilous dilemma where they are given options to choose either hijab or education. Some female teachers have quit their jobs but did not forsake their hijab in Azerbaijan, which is officially a secular republic under its constitution, but also guarantees freedom of conscience and religion through its constitution.
A uniform dress code for school-going children does not clash with wearing the hijab. James Scott, in his ‘Seeing Like a State’, argues that the concept of the synoptic view of the state creates an illusion of uniform, homogeneous management across different areas, which creates problems by taking away diversity. Given increased religious restrictions by the state in Azerbaijan, the cabinet decision to ban the hijab in educational institutions is not only a violation of fundamental rights at present but may also lead to further government restrictions, including banning the Hijab from the public sphere altogether, in the future.
Like any other right, such as suffrage, the right to wear the hijab should be recognized by the state. One cannot provide the right to freedom of expression but usurp the right to wear a particular dress that makes the practice of religion complete. Just as women’s decision not to wear hijab is respected in Azerbaijan, women who want to wear hijab should also be accommodated in practice. The excuse that most people voted for something does not mean that those who were or are against the rules are pariahs and should be disregarded. The majority paradigm proposed for the uniform rule is untenable, as a state exists for everyone, not only for the majority.
A neutral classroom environment, which the government tries to ensure, should not hijack people’s right to wear a dress considered indispensable for practicing their religion. When people are spontaneous in their religious practice, it is very difficult to dissuade them. They should not be forced to forsake their religious decorum in a public setting. A headscarf or hijab is considered essential for maintaining decency in attire for Muslim women. Those who are willing to wear it to properly practice religion should not be given mental trauma. The emotion that is attached to wearing the hijab to maintain purdah should be recognized by the state.
Its singular approach of cutting everyone’s tail to make them look similar is flawed. Cultural diversity is a strength, not a weakness. The state’s refusal to listen to citizens is not democratic. This may create a chasm between the citizens and the state; even if public protests against the decision have decreased in Azerbaijan now, it may lead to turmoil in the future. The sooner the government accepts reality and respects its citizens, the better the outcome will be.
DISCLAIMER: The views expressed are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Magazine, or its editorial team. The views published are the sole responsibility of the author(s).
