Azerbaijan's school hijab ban triggers protests and a rift with Turkey

Public-school bans on religious headscarves in Azerbaijan have sparked protests, mass detentions, and a diplomatic dispute with Turkey.

• Prime Minister Ali Asadov signed Decision 309 on September 21 amending state-school uniform rules to uphold secular education.
• The Interior Ministry said 37 people were detained on October 12 for disrupting public order and obstructing educational institutions.
• The governing Yeni Azerbaijan Party rejected Turkish criticism Wednesday, after presidential adviser Oktay Saral called the ban "unacceptable."
• Teachers and pupils wearing the hijab have been denied entry at schools, where videos of girls barred at the gates circulated online.
• The new dress code does not explicitly ban the hijab but requires school uniforms to conform to secular education principles.
• Students walked out of classes during protests over the uniform rules in Baku and other cities.
• Pro-government outlets in Azerbaijan accused Iran of orchestrating the protests, citing a meeting in the Iranian city of Qom.
• Commentators noted the current unrest echoed similar hijab-related protests in Azerbaijan between 2010 and 2012.