Azerbaijan’s school hijab ban: What’s behind it, and what’s next?

An Azerbaijan government decision to indirectly prohibit students and staff from wearing the hijab in schools has sparked protests. The amendment approved last month stopped short of explicitly banning the Muslim headscarf but barred clothing in schools that the government said violates the “principle of secularism”. The decision has sparked protests as some schools began preventing students and teachers from attending classes. Teacher Zahra Hasanova told Al Jazeera that she was informed she could no longer wear the hijab at school. “To be honest, I am a little emotional. I am hurt,” she said. “[The hijab] is a personal choice, and if one day I want to take it off, that should be my choice too.