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

For Gulshan Aliyeva, a teacher, the statement implicit the hijab successful Azerbaijan’s nationalist schools has go a idiosyncratic conflict that threatens her vocation and her daughter’s education.

This week, the English teacher with 23 years of experience, went to schoolhouse wearing her headscarf but was denied entry. Her girl was besides prevented from entering the precocious schoolhouse successful Baku, she told Al Jazeera.

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“I privation to fulfil my responsibilities, amended students and proceed my vocation without my spiritual beliefs becoming an obstacle to my employment,” she said.

Aliyeva argued that Azerbaijan’s Labour Code, specifically Article 16, prohibits favoritism successful employment successful the country.

Last month, new rules stopped abbreviated of explicitly singling retired the hijab but banned pupils from wearing apparel that interruption the rule of secularism successful education.

Protests person erupted implicit the contented successful a state wherever much than 90 percent are Muslim.

Aliyeva is among respective teachers and students who person been denied entry; the Ministry of Internal Affairs said connected Monday that 37 radical had been detained for disrupting nationalist bid portion breaking the caller rules.

“Our law rights to enactment and person an acquisition without obstruction indispensable beryllium upheld,” said Aliyeva, who intends to proceed reporting to work. She said she volition instrumentality her lawsuit to the applicable authorities if necessary.

The Baku City Education Department has announced that schools volition beryllium monitored to measure compliance.

Sheikh-ul-Islam Allahshukur Pashazade, president of the Caucasus Muslims Board (CMB), told section media connected Tuesday that the hijab is “an important spiritual obligation”.

While radical “cannot reason the decisions of the state” they tin explicit their “views arsenic citizens”, helium added, but criticised protesters for disturbing schools.

He besides said the contented was being utilized for governmental purposes, portion urging critics to code applicable ministers.

Not everyone believes the restrictions correspond an infringement of idiosyncratic rights.

Baku nonmigratory Timur Rzayev believes the contention has been politicised. In his view, the government’s azygous argumentation should beryllium adhered to “rather than debated”.

“There is simply a authorities determination connected the implementation of azygous formal codes,” helium said.

Rzayev opposes girls nether the property of 18 wearing the hijab, saying specified a determination often reflects parental preferences alternatively than the wishes of the children themselves.

His presumption reflects a wider interest among immoderate Azerbaijanis that spiritual practices should not premix with nationalist education.

“We are a secular authorities that respects the rights of spiritual people,” helium said.

During the Soviet era, the authorities restricted spiritual practices and did not let radical to freely observe their spiritual traditions. After independence, these restrictions were eased, allowing radical greater state to practise their faith.

Natiq Jafarli, caput of the absorption REAL Party, said that the question of students wearing the hijab warrants further discussion.

“The contented concerning pistillate students needs to beryllium discussed. Public schools should found definite compromise arrangements for superior schoolhouse pupils,” helium said.

“Teachers are adults, and imposing restrictions connected however they formal is the incorrect approach,” helium added.

Tensions with Turkiye

The contention has besides affected Azerbaijan’s closest narration connected the planetary stage.

Oktay Saral, an advisor to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, said Azerbaijan’s determination was “unacceptable”.

“Leaving a pupil who covers her caput for reasons of religion astatine the schoolhouse gross – however tin this acceptable into immoderate conscience, immoderate consciousness of justice?” helium posted connected X.

The governing Yeni Azerbaijan Party (YAP) deed backmost connected Tuesday, saying Saral’s “irresponsible” comments risked harming ties betwixt the adjacent allies.

Zahid Oruj, president of the quality rights committee of the National Assembly, Azerbaijan’s parliament, said the measurement was not an enactment of spiritual favoritism oregon an onslaught connected escaped expression.

“There is nary prohibition connected wearing headscarves extracurricular school, and the superior nonsubjective is to support azygous rules wrong the acquisition environment,” helium told Al Jazeera.

He added that galore Azerbaijanis bash not deterioration the hijab but inactive respect the Quran arsenic a beatified publication and judge successful God, suggesting that disagreement astir schoolhouse formal requirements should not beryllium equated with hostility towards religion.

The National NGO Forum of Azerbaijan has likewise criticised what it describes arsenic the politicisation of the debate.

Azerbaijan’s secularism is enshrined successful its constitution. Article 7 defines the state arsenic a secular state. Article 18 establishes the separation of religion and authorities and provides for the secular quality of the authorities acquisition system. However, Article 48 guarantees state of conscience.

These provisions spot secular acquisition and spiritual state wrong the aforesaid law framework, raising questions astir however the authorities should reconcile them erstwhile regulating covering successful nationalist schools.

Azer Rashidoglu, president of the Azerbaijan-based Tolerance Public Association for Social Research, believes the caller rules are not successful enactment with the Constitution and said radical affected should situation the measures.

“Those whose rights person been violated should collectively question ineligible redress done the courts and prosecute their origin done peaceful and lawful means,” helium said.