From Hijab to Activism: An Opportunity Not to Be Missed

Developments in Azerbaijan present a timely opportunity to raise the question of why a teenage girl would sometimes accept the cost of losing her education in order to keep the dress code she has chosen.

Guest note: Mohammad Rahmani, a researcher in the field of cultural and educational policy; What is happening in the schools of the Republic of Azerbaijan these days is more than a dispute about the clothing of students. The restriction on the presence of veiled girls in schools, the pressure on veiled teachers and the formation of student protests have brought before our eyes scenes that are important from an educational point of view. Adolescents who do not remain silent in the face of the exclusion of their classmates, girls who express solidarity with their friends regardless of their clothing, and students who consider another issue to be their issue.

Regardless of its political fate, this event carries a fundamental question for educational activists: how can real events in the world be used as opportunities to educate a responsible, justice-seeking generation with the power of collective action?

It seems that we are facing a limited but valuable educational opportunity here; An opportunity that, if not understood in time, will be quickly forgotten in the daily news cycle.

reciting hijab; From individual cover to a symbol of resistance to coercion

One of the weaknesses of our educational approach to the issue of hijab is reducing it to an outward behavior and a set of clothing dos and don'ts. However, in some historical and social situations, the hijab has a meaning beyond covering and becomes a symbol of identity, agency and resistance to domination.

The developments in Azerbaijan are a good opportunity to raise the issue of why sometimes a teenage girl is willing to bear the cost of being deprived of education in order to maintain her chosen clothing. What happens when an everyday thing becomes an identity issue?

In such a situation, it is possible to discuss the relationship between the hijab and the fight against tyrants in its broader meaning, i.e. resistance against the power that ignores the right to choose, dignity and freedom of human conscience. Of course, the validity of this statement depends on defending the right to choose and human dignity, regardless of the type of clothing.

social activist training; When someone else's problem becomes my problem

Perhaps the most important educational aspect of this event is not only the standing of veiled girls, but also the solidarity of students who themselves do not necessarily face the same restrictions.

Here we are facing one of the most fundamental issues of the philosophy of social education: how does a person cross the boundaries of individual interests and feel a sense of obligation towards the fate of others?

If the school is supposed to be a place to educate responsible citizens, it should give the student the opportunity to understand and experience the truth that justice is not just a claim for one's right; Sometimes it is the defense of a right that the other has been deprived of.

This event can be the subject of a serious conversation about moral courage, social solidarity, public good and responsibility against injustice; Concepts that we usually talk about in textbooks, but we rarely have the opportunity to face their real examples.

Adolescent without borders, from emotional sympathy to human solidarity

One of the less used capacities of education today is connecting Iranian teenagers with the real problems of teenagers in other countries.

The concept of "youth without borders" can be redefined on this basis, a teenager who is not indifferent to the suffering and deprivation of his peers, regardless of nationality and geography.

Schools can provide the context for the production of empathic narratives, friendly letters, works of art, and humane messages about the right to education and freedom of conscience; Activities that are not based on fleeting excitement, but on recognition, dialogue and responsibility.

The main issue is that the teenager does not see himself as an audience of world events, but also recognizes the possibility of responsible participation according to his age.

Connecting schools, turning solidarity into educational support

If exclusion from school is one of the consequences of these restrictions, one of the most meaningful educational responses can be trying to preserve the opportunity to learn.

Establishing communication between the schools and educational complexes of the two countries, in compliance with the legal requirements, the satisfaction of the families, and the safety and privacy considerations of the children, can provide the field of scientific cooperation, the exchange of teaching resources, supplementary training and support for the continuation of education.

The value of such an activity is that the teenager learns that solidarity is not just expressing feelings or spreading a message; Rather, sometimes it requires allocating your time, knowledge and capacities to solve another problem.

School as a space to face real world issues

Finally, the more important issue comes back to the relationship between school and society. How can a school that is indifferent to the real issues of the world around them educate responsible students?

Of course, turning social events into an educational opportunity should not mean turning the school into a place for reproducing political slogans or imposing a predetermined position. Education happens when the student has the opportunity to observe, question, analyze, discuss and make responsible choices.

Educational activists can turn this event into a meaningful experience of social learning by forming dialogue circles, critically analyzing media narratives, investigating children's rights, and designing voluntary activities.

What is happening in Azerbaijan is not only the hijab issue; The issue is the ratio of power and freedom, identity and dignity, justice and social responsibility.

Perhaps the most important question before us is not what teenagers think about hijab; Rather, when the right to education or freedom of conscience is violated, do they consider themselves responsible for him?

Education begins exactly at this point; Where the teenager crosses his own boundary and turns another's suffering into a problem for thinking and responsible action.