From Britain's First Somali Woman MP to Hijab Ban in Azerbaijan's Schools | Don't Make Girls Cry

Baku's move will indirectly strengthen the religious and religious-extremist sectors of Azerbaijani society. The action was likely aimed at reducing Islamic religious sentiment and marginalizing and minimizing religious Muslims. But the result will be the opposite: it will ultimately strengthen religious and religious-extremist forces. After these events, the number of veiled women and religious people will increase.

Ambassador Arjan; Reza Ghbishavi - In these few days, impressive films from the Republic of Azerbaijan are released. The government of Baku, with a French interpretation of secularism, has ordered to prevent the entry of teachers and students wearing headscarves into public schools.

A large number of veiled students and teachers have protested and criticized after being banned from entering the school. including parents of students who loudly express their opposition. From the accompaniment and support of non-hijab students to the veiled classmate to the protest of a veiled soldier's wife killed in the Karabakh war who prevented her veiled daughter from entering school. With his hand, he shows his wife's picture and, displeased with the way his daughter is treated today, he asks that his wife's picture be removed from the list of "martyrs of the Karabakh war". From the image of a veiled teacher who is sitting outside the classroom wall and teaching students because she is not allowed to enter, to the fathers and mothers of the students who broke down the school door and entered in support of the veiled students. Many protests have started against this ban and dozens of people have been arrested so far. During my trip to Baku many years ago, one of the first images that caught my attention was that in several taxis, I saw the driver sticking pictures of Imam Ali on the car's dashboard. A sign of the religiousness of important parts of the society. A picture similar to what can be seen in many taxis in Tbilisi, the capital of the neighboring country (Christian Georgia). Pictures of the faces of Christ and Mary and the holy characters of Christianity. A few points: 1- "A head that does not hurt is not tied with a handkerchief" This proverb is the current history of the government and society of Azerbaijan. Schools were open every day and students and teachers wearing and not wearing hijabs went to class every day until the government banned them by passing laws and created this uneasy and unusual situation. The situation was calm and there was no problem until the government created a new crisis out of nothing. And of course, this is also an art that some governments and rulers have. And woe to them when they like this trouble and creating a crisis and get used to continuing production and living in this crisis environment, which is extremely dangerous. In addition to this, it also damages the image and image of the government of the Republic of Azerbaijan in the world. The majority in the world, after seeing the pictures and videos related to this incident, their position towards the government of Baku becomes negative.

The one who makes the students' girls cry is definitely not the winner.

Hijab student girls sitting outside the classroom

2- These events occur in the Republic of Azerbaijan at a time when "Sagal Abdiwali", a 41-year-old Somali woman with a full color hijab, placed her hand on the Quran in the British Parliament and swore to be the first Somali British representative in this parliament. This lady immigrated with her mother and siblings when she was only 7 years old during the civil war in her country. He recently won a by-election in one of the London constituencies and was able to enter the parliament. This is the area that was previously represented by Keir Stammer, the former leader of the Labor Party and the former Prime Minister of Great Britain. If you search for "Sagal Abdiwali" photos, you will see pictures of her with smiling lips and colored scarves of red, blue, green, etc., including her happy pictures with her fellow party members (Labor Party) after winning the elections. It is strange that in London with a Christian majority and of course a diverse society and an important minority of atheists or those who do not believe in God and religion, a Muslim woman wearing an Islamic hijab enters the parliament, but in the center of a country with a Muslim majority, women and girls cannot enter school.

3- In the Republic of Azerbaijan, the word "martyr" is used for the soldiers killed in the Karabakh war (numerous wars with the forces of the Karabakh government and the Armenian army). The authorities of the Republic of Azerbaijan also tried to portray their wars with the Armenian army as a war between Muslim and non-Muslim armies. Now, however, Islamic hijab is prohibited in schools. It is not possible to use the title of martyr for those killed in the war and use Islamic titles, but at the same time ban the Islamic hijab in your schools. 4- Such a ban is almost unique in the world except in France. From England and Western Europe to Europe and America, which stand at the peak of liberalism and claim liberalism and secularism and its implementation, and is the place where philosophers and thinkers live, with the majority of Christians and non-Muslims, none of them have prohibited the entry of veiled girls and women into public schools or created any restrictions for it. Now, the Republic of Azerbaijan, a country with a Shia Islamic majority in the Middle East, has taken such action. If the goal is to reach the peak of secularism and liberalism, others will do such a thing do not give

5- Forbidding the education and training of people for any reason and excuse is wrong and an act against basic human rights and inhumanity. The right to receive education is one of the human rights. This prohibition is not something that the authorities can proudly announce and be proud of in international meetings, including the UNESCO meeting.

6- Society is not pottery. Some people think that society is like wax or clay in their hands, so that like a potter, they can mold it into any design and role they have in mind. While society is a living, active and dynamic being; He feels, takes a stand and behaves. It is an illusion to imagine that one order can change the society or change people's lifestyle.

7- This action of the Baku government indirectly leads to the strengthening of the religious and religious extremist sections of the society of the Republic of Azerbaijan. The action that has been taken is probably aimed at reducing Islamic religious feelings and isolating religious Muslims and minimizing them. But this action ultimately has the opposite result. That is, it ultimately strengthens religious forces and religious extremist forces. After these incidents, the number of veiled and religious people increases.

The government of Baku should have learned from two historical examples. First, Reza Shah, who took action against the hijab, and a few decades later faced an Islamic/religious revolution, most of whose leaders were religious or people bound by religious duties. Second, the government of Atatürk, the founder of the Republic of Turkey, who despite carrying out anti-Islamic and anti-religious measures and removing many religious manifestations and signs, including the hijab, but less than a hundred years later, an Islamist government came to power, whose president is himself a graduate of religious schools; He reads the Quran and his wife is veiled. The President of the Republic of Türkiye, Atatürk, loudly proclaims his religious Islamic identity and has added the Islamic religious identity to the identities of the Republic of Turkey.

The religious parts of the society never become zero, but increase and decrease. It is important to eliminate the extremist religious forces.

8- This action is an example of interference in people's life and lifestyle. Any action by the government and officials to interfere in people's lives or people's lifestyle or the so-called customs is doomed to failure, except for negative cases such as honor killings or racism or circumcision of girls or inhumane behaviors.

9- After ruling for a long time, some rulers come to the conclusion that they are in the position of God and can act in the society. That is, they can apply arbitrary changes with one command. Before this, similar cases had occurred by Muammar Gaddafi, the leader of Libya, former and current leaders of North Korea, and Saddam, the former president of Iraq. Similar cases have been seen in East Germany, the Soviet Union and China. 10- Hijab is not only an Islamic rule, but for many it is a part of life. For many, it is a traditional dress and part of their identity. For many, hijab is a part of customary clothing and subject to custom.