Imam Juma Alborz: Hijab restriction in Azerbaijan should be followed

Alborz - On Friday, imams from several cities of Alborz criticized the hijab restrictions in the Republic of Azerbaijan, and demanded attention to the rights of Muslims and active pursuit of this issue by the diplomatic system.

Hamidreza Abdul Manafi, Arjan ambassador of the group of provinces: The issue of hijab in Azerbaijan has become one of the common topics of Friday prayer sermons in the cities of Alborz province. A topic that the imams of Juma Karaj, Saujblag, Chaharbagh, Mahdasht, Fardis, Taleghan and Kamalshahr have addressed from a different angle.

The restrictions related to covering in educational centers, the protest of some families and students, and the relationship between educational regulations and religious freedoms, are among the issues that are reflected in the words of these orators.

In the meantime, the difference in views is also significant; Some Friday imams emphasize the religious and identity aspect of the hijab, some call for diplomatic follow-up of the reported restrictions, and another group pays attention to the way of implementing cultural policies and avoiding extremism.

What was the decision of the Cabinet of Ministers of Azerbaijan?

Hojjat-ul-Islam Mehdi Darbani, the imam of Juma Chaharbagh, referring to the decision of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Azerbaijan regarding the regulation of students' clothing, said that this decision affects the presence of veiled students and teachers in schools.

Referring to the religious composition of the population of the Republic of Azerbaijan, he criticized the restrictions on hijab and said that the objection to these policies should be examined in the framework of the religious beliefs and identity of the people of this country.

Rejecting attributing the protests to foreign factors, Imam Juma Chaharbagh emphasized that the defense of hijab and religious values cannot be attributed solely to the role of other countries.

Hojjat-ul-Islam Darbani also pointed to the situation of hijab in Iran and said that this issue requires thinking and planning and added: "Neither passivity is right nor extremes and inappropriate treatment."

He considered the hijab as an issue beyond the outer covering and by emphasizing the place of chastity in the society, he emphasized the necessity of choosing the right method to face cultural issues.

Ignoring religious beliefs has consequences

Hojjat-ul-Islam Ruhollah Mokhtari, the imam of Juma Sawajbalag, also referring to the veil regulations in the Republic of Azerbaijan, considered this decision as limiting the education of veiled girls and warned about the consequences of ignoring people's religious beliefs.

Referring to the Muslim population of this country, he emphasized that the decision about covering in educational centers should be considered according to the religious beliefs and sensitivities of the society.

Hojjat-ul-Islam Mokhtari also expressed his support for veiled girls of the Republic of Azerbaijan, warned about the reaction of the people to the mentioned restrictions in this country and emphasized the importance of respecting religious beliefs.

Popular protests are linked to the defense of the hijab

Hojjat-ul-Islam Ali Radmard, Imam of Juma Mahdasht, referring to the protests raised in the Republic of Azerbaijan, spoke about the formation of movements in defense of the hijab.

Criticizing the approach of the government of this country in the face of protests, he considered the issue of hijab as one of the issues related to the religious beliefs of the people and pointed to the issue of compliance with the law in Iran.

Imam Juma Mahdasht raised the question why the argument of the necessity of observing the law on the issue of hijab is a source of controversy in the country, he paid attention to the issue of cultural policy and how to face the regulations related to the veil.

The imam of Karaj asked to pay attention to the dimensions of the issue

Ayatollah Seyyed Mohammad Mahdi Hosseini Hamdani, Imam of Juma Karaj and representative of the religious jurist in Alborz province, also mentioned the reports about the restrictions of hijab in the Republic of Azerbaijan.

By raising a question about the relationship of this approach with the responsibility of hosting the Islamic Cooperation Summit, he paid attention to the cultural and political dimensions of the issue and emphasized the necessity of investigating this issue.

You cannot fight with the religion of God and the rules of Islam

Hojjat-ul-Islam wal-Muslimin Mahmoud Noorpour, Friday imam of Kamalshahr, criticizing what he called the anti-Islamism of the government of the Republic of Azerbaijan, said that more than 97 percent of the population of this country are Muslims, and the majority of them are Shiites.

He claimed that Ashura mourning, installation of black flags on the roads and education of Islamic and Shiite education are facing restrictions in this country and he added that recently veiled girls have been banned from entering schools.

Hojjat-ul-Islam Noorpour asked why such policies should be applied in a Muslim-majority country and said to Ilham Aliyev: "You can't fight with the religion of God and the rules of Islam."

The Friday imam of Kamalshahr further criticized the policies of the government of the Republic of Azerbaijan and warned about the consequences of confronting religious beliefs.

The government should actively pursue the issue of hijab

Hojjat-ul-Islam wal-Muslimeen Ali Rahmatinia, Imam of Juma Taleghan, also criticized the restrictions related to the hijab in the Republic of Azerbaijan, saying that despite the Muslim population and Shiite majority, this country is witnessing actions against Muslims and especially Shiites.

Referring to the reports about the exclusion of veiled students and teachers from educational centers, he considered these measures to be a serious limitation and asked the government and the diplomatic system to actively follow up on the matter.

Hojjat-ul-Islam Rahmatinia also criticized the relations of the Iranian government with the authorities of the Republic of Azerbaijan and emphasized that diplomatic relations should not be limited to personal friendly relations, but should ensure national interests.

Referring to Azerbaijan's cooperation with the Zionist regime and the positions of this country towards Iran, Imam Juma Taleghan demanded that the authorities pay more attention to regional developments and defend the rights of Muslims.

The protest of Azerbaijani people has religious and national roots

Hojjat-ul-Islam wal-Muslimeen Mohammadi, Imam Juma Fardis, also pointed to the protest of the people of the Republic of Azerbaijan against the ban on the hijab, and said: "The protest of the people of the Republic of Azerbaijan against the ban on the hijab is internal and arises from religious and national values."

With this comment, he considered the raised objections to be the result of the beliefs and values of the people of this country.

hijab and chastity; Emphasis on cultural planning

Another part of the Imams' speech on Friday Alborz was dedicated to the issue of hijab and chastity in the country. In this section, Hojjat-ul-Islam Darbani emphasized the necessity of planning for cultural issues, and at the same time, he considered passivity and inappropriate behavior as two wrong approaches in dealing with this issue.

Emphasizing the place of chastity in social relations, he did not consider hijab to be merely an issue related to outer covering and considered it within the framework of religious and cultural values of the society.

Imam Juma Chaharbagh's statements indicated the importance of choosing a way to face cultural issues; A topic that, along with the emphasis of other preachers on the place of religious beliefs, became one of the axes raised in the Friday prayer sermons of these cities.

The emphasis of the imams of Juma Alborz on the place of hijab and chastity

The speeches of Imams Juma Karaj, Savojbalag, Chaharbagh and Mahdasht about the Republic of Azerbaijan focused on the importance of religious beliefs, the status of hijab in educational centers and the reactions raised to the rules of covering. They also linked the issue of hijab and chastity to cultural politics in the country.

In the meantime, Hojjatul Islam Darbani emphasized the necessity of planning and avoiding passivity and inappropriate behavior, and Hosseini Hamdani drew attention to the issue from the perspective of the international responsibilities of the Republic of Azerbaijan.