TEHRAN – Religious groups, ritual eulogists and religious poets in Ardabil have condemned restrictions on Islamic hijab for female students in Azerbaijan, expressing solidarity with Muslim families and calling for the protection of girls’ right to education.
In a statement issued on October 20, the groups, collectively known as the Dar al-Irshad Ardabil Hosseini community, criticized the Azerbaijani government’s reported restrictions on headscarves in girls’ schools and called on officials in Iran, religious scholars and legal institutions to help secure the removal of the restrictions, Mehr reported.
The statement argued that students should not have to choose between continuing their education and adhering to their religious beliefs. It described hijab as an established Islamic obligation and an expression of religious identity, saying that religious dress should not be used as a reason to deny Muslim women educational opportunities or participation in social and professional life.
The signatories also criticized Azerbaijan’s domestic anti-religious policies and its political, military and security cooperation with Israel, arguing that these developments raised questions about the government’s approach to Islamic values.
Calling for a response to the restrictions, the groups urged Azerbaijan’s Muslim population to pursue their demands for religious rights and equal access to education through unity, awareness, courage and peaceful participation.
The statement also appealed to Iranian officials and religious and legal institutions to take a clear position and pursue measures to protect the rights of Muslim schoolgirls in the neighboring country.
In a gesture of support, the signatories said schools in Ardabil were ready to receive Muslim girls from Azerbaijan who wear hijab and wish to continue their education there.
“Education should not come at the price of abandoning religious beliefs,” the statement said, adding that genuine freedom requires respect for people’s convictions.
The statement was signed by religious eulogists and poets, religious congregations and the Dar al-Irshad Ardabil Hosseini community.
SAB/
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