Hawzah News Agency- In recent weeks, reports, accounts, and videos have emerged describing how Muslim schoolgirls and teachers in Azerbaijan are being prevented from entering schools unless they remove their hijab. The move has sparked concern over the future of religious and cultural identity among the younger generation in a society with deep Islamic and Shia heritage.
Azerbaijan's cabinet approved amendments to school dress regulations on September 21, which authorities describe as strengthening the secular nature of public education. Under the rules, wearing any additional clothing over the school uniform, or attire inconsistent with the uniform or deemed by authorities to violate the secular principle of education, is prohibited.
The ban, and the sight of Muslim children and teachers in tears, has raised fresh questions about the nature and function of secularism—and whether slogans of secularism, freedom, human rights, and humanity have in some cases become tools to confront Islamic rulings.
When a Muslim student faces restrictions for adhering to her religious beliefs, the question arises: does secularism only support freedom of belief insofar as those beliefs align with the prevailing view? Can secularism be used to change a society's customs and beliefs against the will of part of its people?
For Muslim girls, the hijab is not merely a covering but part of their lifestyle and religious belief.
Hijab: Religious Obligation or Personal Choice?
In Islam, the hijab is among the religious rulings explicitly stated in the Holy Quran. In verse 31 of Surah al-Nur, God says: "And tell the believing women to lower their gaze and guard their chastity, and not to reveal their adornments except what normally appears. Let them draw their veils over their chests, and not reveal their adornments except to their husbands, their fathers, their husbands' fathers, their sons, their husbands' sons, their brothers, their brothers' sons, their sisters' sons, their women, what their right hands possess, or male attendants who lack desire, or children who are not yet aware of women's nakedness. And let them not stamp their feet to reveal what they conceal of their adornment. And turn to God in repentance, all of you, O believers, so that you may succeed."
According to the interpretation of Hojatoleslam Qara'ati, the verse establishes that: hijab and covering are obligatory; women's presence in society while observing hijab is not prohibited; and observing hijab and avoiding display has many benefits—including spiritual calm, stronger family bonds, protection of future generations, prevention of assault and harassment, prevention of communicable and psychological diseases, lower divorce and suicide rates, fewer illegitimate children and abortions, elimination of negative rivalries, preservation of women's personality and humanity, and freedom from lustful gazes and hearts that have entangled various societies.
The article also cites statistics on sexual harassment in schools in some countries. For example, a 2021 US Government Accountability Office (GAO) report, using 2017–2018 academic year data, estimated that 4,247 public schools reported at least one incident of sexual assault at school. The same report identified about 939 schools that reported sexual misconduct by staff against students.
The article also refers to a psychology thesis at the University of Gothenburg claiming that 60 percent of children in Swedish high school classes witnessed sexual harassment in the past year, and 45 percent of 10-year-old students said they had been victims of sexual harassment. It also notes cases of peer harassment.
The article acknowledges that a precise assessment of these statistics requires reference to the original report, the statistical population, the precise definition of harassment and assault, and the data collection method—and that the mere existence of mixed schools does not by itself prove a causal relationship between school type and the occurrence of sexual harassment.
The central question, however, is why in a country like Azerbaijan—where, according to common statistics, a very large majority of the population is Muslim—students should face educational restrictions for adhering to their religious dress.
Religious Responsibility and the Right to Education for Muslim Girls
A girl who has reached the age of religious obligation knows, based on Islamic belief, that hijab is among her religious duties and that observing it is not merely a personal preference but a form of obedience to God's command.
The question now is whether educational laws can prevent the fulfillment of a religious ruling. From the perspective of Islamic jurisprudence, when a girl reaches religious maturity, she must observe the religious rulings pertaining to her. If a secular-oriented school asks her to remove her hijab, she faces a serious conflict: either abandon a covering she believes is religiously obligatory, or be deprived of the right to education if she refuses.
Ayatollah Mesbah Yazdi (RA) said on this matter: "The perfection of the entire society depends on the modesty and chastity of women; anyone with even a little familiarity with Islam knows that Islam advocates modesty and chastity for women."
Ayatollah Safaei Haeri (RA) similarly explained the philosophy of hijab and its relation to women's social presence: "A woman covers herself, controls her movement, gaze, and speech so that she does not attract human talents to herself and waste them, and does not become a quagmire for humanity's great talents. This same woman speaks when she sees she must speak, just as Lady Fatima (AS) spoke. She comes out when she sees she must come out, just as Zainab (AS) came out. Having hijab conflicts neither with speaking, nor with coming out, nor with mobilizing people. We have lost our criteria. The same Fatima who believes a woman's happiness lies in no one seeing her and her seeing no one, cries out when a right is at stake and people are subjected to oppression—engaging people in argument and condemning them through her reasoning as if the Messenger had risen from the dust."
What Is Secularism and What Is Its Relationship With Religious Freedom?
Secularism in its general sense refers to the separation of religious institutions from state institutions and limiting the official role of religion in political and governmental structures. However, there are different interpretations and models of secularism, and they cannot all be treated as identical.
The article's question about Azerbaijan's educational policies is: if the purpose of secular education is the state's neutrality toward religious beliefs, why should the religious dress of Muslim students and teachers be restricted? Does religious neutrality mean allowing people of different beliefs to be present, or removing religious symbols from public space?
The issue is not only hijab. The Azerbaijani government has expanded its relations with the Israeli regime in energy, defense, and security fields. From the author's perspective, examining these relations alongside the government's cultural and educational policies is important for understanding its orientations.
Some Israeli media have also published claims about the Azerbaijani president's daughter requesting to convert to Judaism. These claims also require verification and reference to credible sources before being accepted as fact.
The fundamental question is why, in a society with a Muslim majority, restrictions are imposed instead of respecting people's religious beliefs and allowing them to choose their dress. Why, in the name of freedom, should the religious dress of part of society be restricted?
From the author's view, these policies are inconsistent with the claim of religious neutrality and can pave the way for weakening the younger generation's religious beliefs. There are also concerns about the impact of cultural and educational policies on people's attitudes toward religion, Islamic identity, and regional issues.
If girls are free to decide about their dress, why should they not be able to choose their religious dress? If the government's goal is neutrality toward religion, why is the option of hijab not provided for these girls?
The author argues that these policies cannot be justified merely under the label of secularism and that questions must be raised about their motives and consequences.
Another issue raised in the article is the raising of rainbow flags and holding supportive marches in Baku. The author, referring to Azerbaijan's place among Shia communities, asks why, alongside certain cultural policies, the religious dress of Muslim girls is restricted.
The author believes one major concern is the impact of this trend on the religious and cultural identity of the Shia community and the younger generation. The greater danger is that Shia students, in the absence of Islamic schools and educational centers suited to their religious beliefs, may be exposed to various intellectual currents, including secular or Takfiri ones.
Therefore, establishing and strengthening Islamic centers and providing religious and educational opportunities for the younger generation is an important necessity.
Iranians, too, can convey a message of solidarity to Muslim girls and teachers in Azerbaijan through cultural and media tools—even if through producing and publishing a clip or a media note.
Recommended Books for Understanding and Critiquing Secularism
- "The Relationship Between Religion and the World: A Study and Critique of Secularism," by Ayatollah Abdullah Javadi Amoli.
- "The General Plan of Islamic Thought in the Quran," by Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei; a work for understanding a systematic view of Islam and its intellectual and social dimensions.
Conclusion
What is currently being raised in Azerbaijan regarding the hijab restrictions on Muslim girls and teachers has created important questions about the relationship between secularism, religious freedom, and citizenship rights. From the author's perspective, the slogans of freedom and human rights should not become tools for restricting religious rulings and depriving individuals of educational rights.
Azerbaijani families should also be sensitive to their children's educational environments and work to preserve the younger generation's religious and cultural identity.
From Ayatollah Safaei Haeri's remarks, one can infer a distinction between hijab as a restriction and hijab as a framework for women's conscious and responsible presence in society. Hijab is not meant to extinguish a woman's talents or push her out of society; rather, a woman can adhere to hijab while speaking when necessary, defending her rights, and mobilizing society.
The models for this view are Lady Fatima (AS) and Lady Zainab (AS)—women who, while possessing modesty and adherence to religious values, defended their rights with courage and reasoning when necessary.
Therefore, we must be the voice of the modest and hijab-observing girls and teachers of Azerbaijan and support their right to adhere to their religious beliefs and access educational opportunities.
May divine assistance be with Shias and true Muslims, God willing.
Sajjad Qorbani
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