Female teachers and schoolgirls in Azerbaijan complained about being barred from classes due to hijabs.
In Azerbaijan, school leaders have not allowed teachers and schoolgirls who refused to remove their hijabs to attend classes for the third day. At the same time, the administration left written requests to explain the reasons for the suspension unanswered, teachers and schoolgirls reported.
As reported by "Caucasian Knot", on October 13, two residents of Azerbaijan were arrested after protests against restrictions on wearing hijabs in schools: a resident of Nakhchivan, Gudrat Abdullayev, received 25 days of administrative arrest after posting a video on TikTok, and a resident of the Absheron district, Rafael Huseynzade, received 30 days after writing "Freedom to the hijab!" on a school building.
In September, the Azerbaijani government made changes to the rules regulating the appearance of students in public schools. Now, students are prohibited from wearing clothing items that violate the unified dress code or do not correspond to the secular nature of education. The reform aims to completely eliminate religious, ethnic, and socio-economic differences in educational institutions, explained parliament member Jeyhun Mamedov. Although the official statement does not mention the hijab, it is implied as clothing that is "not in accordance with the secular nature of education," the activist pointed out.
Restrictions on attending classes for schoolgirls and teachers in hijabs continue in Azerbaijan, reported an activist defending the rights of believers. According to her, protests continued in some schools on October 14.
"But not massively in many schools, as it was on October 12, but at individual educational institutions," she told a correspondent of "Caucasian Knot".
The decrease in the activity of protesters is related to arrests, administrative detentions, and pressure on the parents of schoolgirls, the activist pointed out.
"Protests were massive on the first day of the practical application of the hijab ban in schools. After that, there were arrests of religious activists, summonses, and forced bringing of parents of children in hijabs, including women. Nevertheless, in some schools in Baku and certain districts, protests are taking place, mainly involving parents," the activist said.
Some parents have started to persuade their daughters to remove their hijabs, she reported.
"Parents, under pressure, threats of fines, and detentions, have been forced to persuade their children to attend school without head coverings. However, most believers are striving to lift the hijab ban," the activist said.
There are cases of teachers refusing to wear hijabs under pressure, but according to the activist, most female teachers continue to demand access to work.
"Reports indicate that in some cases, teachers have been forced to comply under pressure. This occurred in one of the schools in the city of Khirdalan. But the overwhelming majority of teachers in hijabs insist on restoring their right to conduct classes," the activist continued.
Female teachers who refuse to remove their hijabs are being asked to write resignation letters, she continued. "But they refuse to do so. On the contrary, they demand written justifications for the reasons for their exclusion from classes," she explained.
In the first days, restrictions were temporarily lifted in some schools, but since October 12, the requirements have been strictly enforced again, the activist pointed out.
"In the village of Yolchubeyli in the Sabirabad district, restrictions were introduced at the beginning of October. But then, due to protests from parents, children were allowed to attend school in hijabs. However, since October 12, this school announced that a strict order had been received not to allow anyone in hijabs into the school. Practically everywhere, to control the exclusion of women and girls in hijabs from schools, not only staff sent from district and city education departments are present, but also law enforcement officers in plain clothes," the activist stated.
At school No. 130 in the Nardaran settlement, schoolgirls in hijabs who were not allowed to attend classes performed the national anthem of Azerbaijan in the schoolyard as a protest. In a video sent to a correspondent of "Caucasian Knot" by one of the activists, several dozen schoolgirls in hijabs can be seen singing the anthem. Some of them are holding placards.
"I wrote a request for them to provide me with written justifications for my exclusion from classes. But I have not received any response to my request," she told a correspondent of "Caucasian Knot".
For the third day, an English language teacher from one of the schools in Sumgait has also not been allowed to work. She believes that wearing a hijab corresponds to her constitutional right to freedom of religion and does not affect her teaching.
"The hijab is not an element or accessory of clothing. In school, I only teach my subject and do not express my religious views in class," she told a correspondent of "Caucasian Knot" on condition of anonymity.
The mother of a 7th-grade student from Baku school No. 90 Rena Mamedova reported that she comes to school every day with her daughter, who is not allowed to attend classes due to her hijab. According to Kerimova, schoolgirls study with textbooks in the yard, but this cannot replace full-fledged education.
"My daughter is not allowed into school because of her hijab. Covering her head was her voluntary choice. Can the current generation of children be forced into anything? The child wants to follow the prescriptions of our religion, but this does not prevent her from studying well. Why do they traumatize children with these bans? We come to school every day, but we are not allowed in. Children in hijabs open their textbooks and study right in the yard. Of course, this is not a solution to the problem. Will the state be better off if children remain uneducated? Why do they poison our peaceful life?" she told a correspondent of "Caucasian Knot".
A 10th-grade student from one of the Baku schools reported that she refused to remove her hijab and cannot continue her education.
"At the school gates, the principal told me that I cannot enter in a hijab. Then I asked her if I had done something wrong in this school? Am I doing poorly in my studies? She replied no. Then why am I not allowed in? I have all fives in my certificate (for completing 9 grades), not a single four. Why am I not allowed to continue my education?" the schoolgirl told a correspondent of "Caucasian Knot" on condition of anonymity.
She stated that she does not intend to remove her hijab.
"Caucasian Knot" currently does not have a comment from the Ministry of Science and Education of Azerbaijan regarding reports of the exclusion of schoolgirls and teachers in hijabs.