Story perspectives

Azerbaijan bars hijab students, triggers protests and arrests

By Drooid · Oct 16, 2026, 10:35 PM UTC · How we work

Summary

Azerbaijan Bans Hijab

Azerbaijan’s education ministry enforced uniform rules that bar hijab-wearing girls from schools.
The rules, approved on September 21, forbid clothing conflicting with secular education.
Students in Baku, Masally and Jalilabad protested and boycotted classes.
Interior Ministry reported 37 detainees, contradicting activists’ claim of over 200 arrests.
A teacher at Richard Sorge School was dismissed for wearing a hijab.

Summary

Hackers Claim Retaliation

Hackers said the Oct 14 cyberattack on Azerbaijan’s internet retaliated for the hijab ban.
Azerbaijan’s parliament warned of hybrid attacks from states amid the hijab dispute.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan condemned hijab bans at UN as an attack on women’s rights.
Adviser Oktay Saral called the restriction “unacceptable” on X, prompting a New Azerbaijan Party rebuttal.
Protesters in Istanbul gathered outside consulate, linking the hijab ban to Azerbaijan’s ties with Israel.

History

Historical Context

France’s 1905 separation of church and state established strict laïcité, leading Parliament to ban conspicuous religious symbols in public schools in 2004. Azerbaijan’s September 21 2023 hijab prohibition mirrors this secular approach, sparking protests in Baku and criticism from Turkey’s President Erdogan. The policy endures even though 94 % of France’s religious buildings are Catholic.

1 of 3

Azerbaijan Bans Hijab

Azerbaijan’s education ministry enforced uniform rules that bar hijab-wearing girls from schools.
The rules, approved on September 21, forbid clothing conflicting with secular education.
Students in Baku, Masally and Jalilabad protested and boycotted classes.
Interior Ministry reported 37 detainees, contradicting activists’ claim of over 200 arrests.
A teacher at Richard Sorge School was dismissed for wearing a hijab.

1 / 3