Behind the veil ban in the Republic of Azerbaijan; The rule of state secularism
In recent years, the Republic of Azerbaijan has expanded its relations with Israel and Western countries, and these relations have also influenced the country's internal policies.
Guest note - Shahram Shamali, an expert on international issues: The Republic of Azerbaijan, a country with about 96-98% Muslim population, made a decision in September 2026 that sparked a wave of domestic protests and international reactions: the practical ban on the hijab in public schools. On September 21, 2026, the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Azerbaijan changed the regulations related to the clothing of students and announced that the use of any clothing that "contradicts the principle of secularism in public education" or "disrupts the integrity of the uniform" is prohibited.
Although hijab is not mentioned in this decree, in practice, from the very first days of its implementation, schools in Baku, Sumqayit, Ganja and some other cities prevented veiled students from entering, and veiled female teachers faced the ultimatum of removing their headscarves or resigning. This decision not only created an internal crisis, but also raised serious questions about the nature of state secularism, religious freedom, and the direction of Baku's foreign policy.
The society of the Republic of Azerbaijan has an old and powerful religious and Islamic body. About 65% of Muslims in this country are Shiites and more than 30% are Sunnis. Hijab as a religious and cultural symbol has deep roots in the traditions of the people of the Republic of Azerbaijan. The government's decision to ban the hijab in schools directly targeted this religious body and provoked widespread reactions.
Images posted on social media showed teenage girls crying behind closed school doors and their angry parents arguing with school officials. In one of the high-profile cases, the daughter of one of the martyrs of the Karabakh war was banned from entering the classroom because of wearing a hijab, and her mother shouted in front of the cameras that she raised a child for this country and now she is facing this behavior.
Students of some schools boycotted the classes and gathered in front of the buildings in protest against this restriction. The Ministry of Interior of Azerbaijan announced the arrest of at least 37 people in connection with these protests. Polad Aslanov, a jailed journalist, also joined this wave from inside the prison and went on a hunger strike to protest what he called the violation of constitutional rights.
A deep gap in the society of the Republic of Azerbaijan
This decision also created a deep divide in the society of the Republic of Azerbaijan. On the one hand, the supporters of the restrictions from the ruling party "New Azerbaijan" and some figures close to the government considered this action a part of preserving educational secularism. Opponents, on the other hand, questioned how it was possible to talk about educational equality, but deny a girl access to class simply because of her religious dress. "I'm a child," one student says in a video that went viral. I want to study! I also have this right."
The decision to ban the hijab greatly affected the popularity of the Aliyev family among the religious sections of the Azerbaijani society. In his October 2nd speech at the 8th Congress of the "New Azerbaijan" party, Ilham Aliyev devoted an important part of his speech to "foreign ideological threats" without directly referring to the hijab, and called media based abroad that produce content in Azerbaijani Turkish as an example of these threats. He emphasized that Azerbaijan's foreign policy should be adjusted in such a way that no one interferes in our affairs.
However, this stance could not curb public discontent. Protests spread not only in Baku, but also to other cities. The spark of these protests started from school No. 69 in Baku and "Bisharif" secondary school in Mulavaba village in Masali city and spread to other schools in three days. In some reports, school officials did not explicitly give veiled students and teachers the two most progressive choices: discard the veil or leave school. These developments show that the policy of banning the hijab has deepened the gap between Aliyev's government and a significant part of the religious community.
The reaction of other Islamic countries to the decision to ban the hijab in Azerbaijan has been mostly critical. The Indonesian parliament, as the world's largest Muslim country, deeply regretted the decision. "We consider this policy regrettable and ask the Azerbaijani government to take a more cautious approach to the hijab issue," said Seyrol Eidi Mezzat, a member of the Indonesian House of Representatives. Hijab is not a symbol of extremism, but an expression of peaceful faith and the human right of every Muslim woman. Prohibition only causes harm and social unrest. He pointed to the conference of the Parliamentary Union of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (PUIC), which was held in Baku in June 2026, and one of the main results of which was a joint commitment to fight Islamophobia worldwide.
Moqtada Sadr, a prominent Iraqi Shiite cleric, also strongly condemned this decision and called it "secular extremism" and warned that such a decision could strengthen extremist currents and increase the influence of the West and Israel in this country. The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) also called for the lifting of hijab restrictions in Azerbaijani schools, calling it a violation of religious freedom.
But the reaction of Türkiye, Azerbaijan's closest ally, was the most important. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, in his speech at the UN General Assembly on September 22, called the headscarf ban in schools an attack on women's most basic rights, without mentioning Azerbaijan. Oktay Saral, Erdoğan's senior adviser, also said that the exclusion of veiled students from education is unacceptable and called on the Azerbaijani authorities to reverse this practice. The ruling party "New Azerbaijan" led by Aliyev condemned these statements and claimed that the Turkish authorities and the media close to the Ankara government are fueling the tensions and that this dispute could harm the bilateral relations.
The origin of the decision to ban the hijab is in the long-standing policy of state secularism of the Republic of Azerbaijan
The root of the decision to ban the hijab should be sought in the long-standing policy of state secularism of the Republic of Azerbaijan; A policy inherited from the Soviet era and continued in the years after independence. Baku says its goal is to preserve the religious neutrality of the education system and to equalize student coverage. But behind this policy, the increasing sensitivity of Aliyev's government towards religious identity and its concern about influence should also be sought.
At the congress of the ruling party "New Azerbaijan", Aliyev introduced education as one of the main tools to deal with what he called "ideological threats" and warned against foreign interference in the lifestyle of the people of his country. After that, some figures close to the government linked the protests to the restriction of the hijab to efforts for political and religious influence from outside. Roshan Mohammadov, head of Azerbaijan's state television, called the protests part of a "foreign ideological attack" against national identity and said the government would resolutely counter any attempt to introduce "Arabic-Persian" values into society.
The decision to ban the hijab was made in a situation where the Middle East and Caucasus region is facing increasing tensions. In recent years, the Republic of Azerbaijan has expanded its relations with Israel and has become a security threat to Iran. During the 12-day war, the skies of this country were at the disposal of the Zionists to carry out assassinations and bombardment of Tehran.
In such a situation, the decision to ban the hijab can be interpreted as an attempt to consolidate internal control and reduce religious influence, which the government believes can lead to foreign influence. Regional analysts believe that this decision is related to the desire of the ruling political system to stabilize the secular identity of the state, along with political and geopolitical considerations, including strengthening relations with Western and European powers and developing relations with Israel, in contrast to the tension in relations with Iran.
However, this decision effectively imposed unrest on the country. Massive protests, boycott of classrooms, arrest of dozens of people and diplomatic tension with Türkiye brought heavy political and social costs for Baku. The stated goal of this work, i.e. to maintain secularism and uniform the veil, in practice turned into a crisis that challenged the legitimacy of the government towards its religious community.
The Islamic Republic of Iran, as the largest Shiite Muslim country and a neighbor of Azerbaijan, is facing a diplomatic challenge in response to these developments. On the one hand, Iran cannot and should not ignore the importance of the relationship with Azerbaijan; Relations with neighbors are the priority of Iran's foreign policy. Iskander Momeni, the Minister of Interior of Iran, met with the senior officials of Azerbaijan during his trip to Baku and expressed his pleasure to be in this country as "Azerbaijan is a friend and brother".
But on the other hand, Iranian officials are expected to have a clear stance on the restriction of hijab and security cooperation with the Zionist regime, in addition to emphasizing friendship. If religious identity and Shiite ties are important in Iran's relations with its neighbors, the restriction of hijab in Azerbaijan's schools cannot be considered unimportant.
Iran should not be indifferent to the feelings and actions of the Muslim nations of the region; That too, in a situation where activating and increasing the influence of Muslims and especially Shiites in this country can help reduce security and political threats against Iran.
It seems that the right approach for Iran is a combination of active diplomacy and intelligent support of the religious rights of the Muslim community of Azerbaijan. Iran can express its concern about religious restrictions in Azerbaijan through official and diplomatic channels, without fueling bilateral tensions. Also, strengthening the cultural and religious relations with the Shiite community of Azerbaijan can serve as a tool to increase Iran's soft influence.
An important question that is raised is whether the decision to ban the hijab in the Republic of Azerbaijan originates from the pressure or advice of foreign countries affecting the policies of Baku. Evidence shows that this possibility cannot be ruled out.
In recent years, the Republic of Azerbaijan has expanded its relations with Israel and Western countries, and these relations have also influenced the country's internal policies. Elif Esen, the deputy head of Turkey's DEVA party, referred to the article by Joseph Epstein, a researcher associated with the Begin Sadat Center for Strategic Studies (BESA) at Israel's Barilan University, which was published on September 29, 2026 under the title "Hijab and the secular state in the Turkish world", and in which the hijab debate in the Republic of Azerbaijan was examined in the framework of the Turkish world's national identity, Turkey's regional influence and competition with Iran. These connections show that the hijab issue in the Republic of Azerbaijan is not just an internal issue, but can also be analyzed in the context of regional and international competitions.