Hijab ban at schools in Azerbaijan: What's behind the rare wave of protests?

Students in Azerbaijan have been denied entry to schools for wearing headscarves, leading to a series of rare public protests involving children. While the national government has not enacted official legislation banning the hijab in educational settings, individual schools have begun enforcing unwritten policies that prohibit the practice.

The emergence of these protests highlights a tension between local school enforcement and the absence of clear state-level regulations. The situation remains notable due to the rarity of such demonstrations in the country and the involvement of students in the ongoing dispute over religious expression in public institutions.