Cover image: Screenshots from videos filmed in Azerbaijan in October 2026. © The Observers of France 24

Azerbaijan: rare protests over hijab ban in schools

· France 24

In Azerbaijan, a new government ban on hijab in schools has provoked rare public protests. The ban prohibits clothing deemed "incompatible with the secular principles of general education". While it does not mention Islamic hijab, girls and teachers wearing hijab have been turned away from schools. The measure has sparked tensions in a country where 96% of the population is Muslim.