Azerbaijan defends hijab rules as school protests ...

Summary

• Azerbaijan’s ruling party has defended new school uniform regulations following protests over restrictions on Islamic headscarves, while warning close ally Turkey against interfering in its domestic affairs.
• The governing Yeni Azerbaijan Party (YAP) criticised an adviser to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and lawmakers from Turkey’s ruling AK Party for opposing the regulations, arguing that Azerbaijan’s education policies should be respected.
• Azerbaijan introduced the new school uniform rules last month, requiring pupils to wear clothing that complies with official dress standards and does not conflict with the secular character of state education.

AI Generated Summary

Azerbaijan’s ruling party has defended new school uniform regulations following protests over restrictions on Islamic headscarves, while warning close ally Turkey against interfering in its domestic affairs.

The governing Yeni Azerbaijan Party (YAP) criticised an adviser to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and lawmakers from Turkey’s ruling AK Party for opposing the regulations, arguing that Azerbaijan’s education policies should be respected.

The dispute has exposed tensions between the two closely allied countries over religious expression, secular education and the limits of political intervention in domestic affairs.

Azerbaijan introduced the new school uniform rules last month, requiring pupils to wear clothing that complies with official dress standards and does not conflict with the secular character of state education.

Although the regulations do not explicitly prohibit the hijab, protests erupted this week following reports that some pupils and teachers wearing Islamic headscarves had been denied entry to schools.

The controversy has drawn attention to the challenges of balancing religious freedom with the secular principles underpinning Azerbaijan’s education system.

Turkey criticises restrictions on headscarves