Teachers and pupils in Azerbaijan are at the centre of a growing dispute over the hijab in public schools, a row that has spilled into the country’s relations with Turkiye. For one English teacher, the debate has become a personal struggle that she says threatens both her career and her daughter’s education.
This week, Gulshan Aliyeva, who has taught English for 23 years, arrived at school wearing her headscarf and was refused entry. She said her daughter was also prevented from entering a high school in Baku.
Teachers and pupils turned away at school gates
Aliyeva said she wanted to carry out her duties and continue teaching without her religious beliefs standing in the way of her job. She argued that Article 16 of Azerbaijan’s Labour Code prohibits discrimination in employment.
New rules introduced last month did not explicitly mention the hijab. They did, however, ban pupils from wearing clothing that violates the principle of secularism in education. Aliyeva is one of several teachers and students who have been denied entry under the measures.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs said on Monday that 37 people had been detained for disrupting public order while breaking the new rules. Protests have broken out over the issue in a country where more than 90 percent of the population is Muslim.
Aliyeva said her constitutional rights to work and receive an education without obstruction must be upheld. She intends to keep reporting to work and said she would take her case to the relevant authorities if necessary. The Baku City Education Department has announced that schools will be monitored to assess compliance with the rules.
Religious leaders and critics divided over the rules
Sheikh-ul-Islam Allahshukur Pashazade, chairman of the Caucasus Muslims Board (CMB), told local media in an interview on Tuesday that the hijab is “an important religious obligation”. He said people cannot oppose decisions of the state, but may express their views as citizens. He criticised protesters for disrupting schools, claimed the issue was being used for political purposes, and urged critics to address their concerns to the relevant ministers.
Not everyone sees the restrictions as a violation of individual rights. Timur Rzayev, a Baku resident, said the controversy had been politicised without need, and that the government’s uniform policy should be followed rather than debated. He said he opposes girls under 18 wearing the hijab, arguing that such decisions often reflect parental preferences rather than the wishes of children. “We are a secular state that respects the rights of religious people,” he said.
Natiq Jafarli, head of the opposition REAL Party, said the question of students wearing the hijab deserves further discussion. He favours compromise arrangements, particularly for younger pupils. “Teachers are adults, and imposing restrictions on how they dress is the wrong approach,” he said.
Zahid Oruj, chairman of the human rights committee of the National Assembly, Azerbaijan’s parliament, said the measure was neither religious discrimination nor an attack on free expression. “There is no ban on wearing headscarves outside school, and the primary objective is to maintain uniform rules within the educational environment,” he told reporters. He added that many Azerbaijanis do not wear the hijab but still regard the Quran as a holy book, and said disagreement over school dress should not be equated with hostility towards religion. The National NGO Forum of Azerbaijan has also criticised what it described as the politicisation of the debate.
Constitutional questions and tensions with Turkiye
Azerbaijan’s constitution enshrines secularism. Article 7 defines the country as a secular state, while Article 18 provides for the separation of religion and state and for the secular character of the education system. Article 48, however, guarantees freedom of conscience. Together, these provisions place secular education and religious freedom within the same framework, raising questions about how the state should balance them when regulating school clothing.
Azer Rashidoglu, chairman of the Tolerance Public Association for Social Research, based in Azerbaijan, believes the new rules are not in line with the constitution. He said people affected by the measures should challenge them. “Those whose rights have been violated should collectively seek legal redress through the courts and pursue their cause through peaceful and lawful means,” he said.
The row has also affected Azerbaijan’s relationship with Turkiye, one of its closest partners. Oktay Saral, an adviser to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, described Azerbaijan’s move as “unacceptable”. Writing on X, he asked how leaving a student who covers her head for reasons of faith at the school gate could fit any conscience or sense of justice.
The governing Yeni Azerbaijan Party (YAP) responded on Tuesday, saying Saral’s comments were “irresponsible” and risked harming ties between the two close allies.
