PNN – The Republic of Azerbaijan’s move to ban the hijab in schools—under the guise of “school uniform regulations”—has sparked widespread protest and backlash among the country’s Muslim population.
According to the report of Pakistan News Network; the Turkish newspaper Haber 7 reported that the government of the Republic of Azerbaijan has adopted new dress code regulations for teachers, incorporating a requirement to observe the principle of secularism into the dress standards for public school staff. This decision comes amidst an ongoing dispute regarding the barring of certain students wearing the hijab from entering schools.
According to the report, Resolution No. 325—approved on October 6 and signed by Ali Asadov, the Prime Minister of the Republic of Azerbaijan—requires teachers to wear clean, neat, and simple attire appropriate for the workplace. For female teachers, formal attire is defined as a suit (jacket with trousers or a skirt) or a jacket with a dress; it is stipulated that skirts and dresses must be knee-length or longer.
Although this resolution does not explicitly mention a ban on the hijab, the emphasis on upholding the principle of secularism has fueled debate regarding the potential consequences for teachers who wear it. The media outlet also highlighted images circulating on social media showing that some teachers, like students, have been denied entry to schools.
This decision follows an amendment to student dress code regulations adopted on September 21, 2026—a development that, according to the report, has expanded the scope of the hijab controversy in the Republic of Azerbaijan’s educational institutions from students to school staff.
Students Rally in Support of Hijab-Wearing Peers
The tightening of hijab restrictions in the Republic of Azerbaijan’s public schools—and the barring of certain students from entry—has sparked reactions. Students seeking to support their hijab-wearing friends staged protests, holding placards and showing their support through applause and cheering. Meanwhile, civil society organizations and citizens called upon the Baku government to remove existing barriers to the right to education and freedom of belief and religion.
The intensification of hijab restrictions in the Republic of Azerbaijan’s public schools, along with the turning away of some hijab-wearing students, has triggered a wave of protests. Students wishing to support their hijab-wearing peers protested by holding placards and showing their support through applause and cheering.
In recent weeks, the enforcement of dress code regulations in the public schools of the Republic of Azerbaijan has become a controversial issue. Reports indicate that some students have been barred from attending class and sent home because they were wearing the hijab—a situation that has sparked a reaction from other students.
Students gathered to support their peers who wear the hijab, displaying placards and cheering to show their solidarity.
Protests by the families of martyrs and veterans of the Karabakh War
According to this report, restrictions regarding the hijab are once again being enforced more strictly in some public schools, citing school dress code regulations. Turning away students wearing the hijab at school entrances has intensified debates concerning the right to education and freedom of belief and religion.
Following these developments, a number of civil society organizations, legal experts, and citizens have voiced their opposition to denying students access to education on the grounds of wearing the hijab.
Meanwhile, reports indicate that the impact of these restrictions on the children of Karabakh war veterans who have lost limbs, as well as on the children of martyrs’ families, has intensified the backlash.
Opponents of the hijab restrictions have called on the government of the Republic of Azerbaijan to guarantee the right to education and freedom of belief and religion.
Civil society representatives and citizens, emphasizing constitutional rights, have demanded the abolition of practices that bar students from entering schools because they wear the hijab.