HIJAB BAN BACKFIRES

Azerbaijani Girls Forced to Choose Between Hijab and Education Azerbaijan has tightened its school dress code, barring the hijab from classrooms for both students and teachers from September 21. In a country that is around 96 per cent Muslim, and whose flag bears a crescent on a green band, schoolgirls have been turned away at the gates, some in tears. Teachers who refused to remove their headscarves have lost their jobs. Among those affected is the daughter of a war veteran who lost his arm defending the country, and who has publicly asked whether he sacrificed it for a hijab ban. The move has triggered a backlash. Students have taken to the streets chanting “Hijab”, while women across the country have shared images online of themselves wearing the headscarf in solidarity. Critics point to Azerbaijan’s own constitution, where Article 42 guarantees the right to education, and Article 48 protects freedom of religion. For now, a law intended to push the hijab out of public life appears to have made it more visible than ever.