Azeri Hijab ban bars scores from school

Hundreds of Azeri Muslim students have been deprived of education following a new policy which bans Hijab in the schools of the predominantly Muslim country.

Under the pretext of imposing reintroduced Soviet-era uniforms to secondary school students this year, Azerbaijan has effectively barred hundreds of female students from going to school, sparking outrage in the predominantly Muslim country.

This is while the country’s constitution does not impose any restrictions on wearing Hijab.

Thousands of Azeri Muslims have held demonstrations to protest the new policy.

According to the Azeri Turan news agency, demonstrators gathered in front of Azerbaijan’s Education Ministry on December 10, 2010, to voice their disapproval of Education Minister Misir Mardanov’s comments.

The Minister had said that girls should comply with official rules on school uniforms, which forbid the wearing of the Hijab.

“What does it mean when a 16-year-old girl sits in a class with her head covered?” Mardanov questioned. “There is a school uniform and children should come to school in these clothes.”

“Everyone can wear whatever they want outside the school, but there are some rules and laws in the classroom.”

Police dispersed protesters using tear gas and arrested more than 10 demonstrators. Officials have also stepped up security measures around the Ministry of Education.

Hundreds of Azerbaijanis also held demonstrations in Nardaran, a suburb of the capital Baku, condemning the government’s policy which they said was adopted under the influence of Western countries and Israel.

Protesters set ablaze pictures of Mardanov urging the government to respect religious values and prevent Azerbaijan from falling into a crisis.

Banning Hijab in high schools also led to protests in the Azeri cities of Lankaran, Jalilabad and Masali.

Muslim communities in Azerbaijan blame the growing secularism in the country on Tel Aviv and accuse Israel of being behind anti-Islamic programs during the Shia mourning month of Muharram and the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan.