Hijab and Spontaneous Protests in Azerbaijan

The recent wave of protests against hijab restrictions in Azerbaijan, which began after the Cabinet of Ministers approved a new decree on school uniforms, has become the starting point and initial hotbed of spontaneous domestic protests and unrest.

After the authorities of School No. 9 in Jalilabad city prevented girls wearing hijabs from entering the classroom, the first signs of field protests began and quickly reached other cities, including Baku. Subsequently, the authorities of Azerbaijan defended the resolution of the Ministry of Science and Education on September 21, 2026, which prohibits the use of any clothing contrary to the "secular principle of public education", and considered it to be in accordance with the country's secular constitution. Although the word "prohibition of hijab" in the text of this resolution It did not come, but it is stated in it that any clothing inconsistent with the official uniform is not allowed and the meaning of this phrase is "prohibition of hijab". In this regard, it is important to pay attention to the following points.

1. People's objections to the prohibition of the hijab in the Republic of Azerbaijan were completely spontaneous and a natural reaction to the violation of basic citizenship rights. In this regard, even non-hijab teachers and students have come to the field and shown their solidarity by participating in marches, strikes, and boycotting classes with expelled girls in a spontaneous social movement. The religious community and Islamist activists inside Azerbaijan also considered the Ministry of Education's anti-hijab decision to be a clear violation of the constitution, freedom of opinion, and the right to education. At the same time, figures and media close to the government of Azerbaijan are trying to insinuate this spontaneous movement as foreign ideological intervention from Türkiye and Iran. and make it an excuse to suppress the defenders of the hijab. This is despite the fact that there is no sign of Iran and Turkey's involvement in this issue and the main cause of the protests and unrest was the anti-hijab decree of the Ministry of Education of Azerbaijan.

2. The attempt of the Zionist media and pro-Israeli authorities and media to accuse Turkey and Iran of interfering in the internal affairs of Azerbaijan and inciting the protesters is also seen as an indication of Tel Aviv's approach to destroying Baku's relations with its two important neighbors and questioning the spontaneous action of the Azerbaijani people to counter the hijab ban. Many political and media experts believe that Israel is behind the curtain or at least the main beneficiary of this situation, because Baku's friendly relationship with Ankara and Tehran has always been a concern of Israel. By highlighting the anti-Islam positions in Azerbaijan, the pro-regime media intend to put Baku in front of the public opinion of Muslims in Turkey and Iran and to weaken Azerbaijan's regional ties with its Muslim neighbors. Some consider Israel's approach as part of a larger scenario to guide the Republic of Azerbaijan towards a completely non-religious identity aligned with Tel Aviv's strategic interests in the Caucasus.

3. There is no doubt that the completely spontaneous movement of the people against the decree banning the hijab in schools was carried out without foreign interference, and the Islamists of this country, while welcoming the spiritual support of Muslim countries, are against any action that highlights foreign interference in this event, which shows the political maturity of Muslim political parties and groups. By implementing the provisions of the Constitution and adhering to the provisions of the Declaration of Human Rights and implementing the standards of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, the country does not stand against the principle of hijab, which is a shari'a ruling and one of the rules of Islam, and do not put itself in front of the people.