Shahbazli: School uniform rules apply equally to all pupils

There is no question of banning the hijab in secondary schools, and the issue is uniform requirements applied in the same way to all pupils regardless of religious or social affiliation, Farid Shahbazli said in a Facebook post.

Shahbazli is the founder and director general of the Editor.az News Agency and chairman of the "Young Reformers" Public Union.

Debate and differing views on any decision taken are a feature of democratic societies and are normal, he said. But despite numerous explanations, encouraging disobedience to the state's lawful decisions and seeking exceptions and immunity from common rules for separate groups is unacceptable, he said.

Azerbaijan is a country that respects and protects religious values, Islamic heritage and freedom of conscience, Shahbazli said. He cited figures for 2,389 mosques and 874 pirs and shrines in the country, alongside the places of worship and religious communities of various confessions. Those facts show that religious life holds an important place in public life, he said.

"Respect for religious values and observance of common rules do not contradict each other. Religious freedom does not mean a privilege of not obeying common rules," he said.

School is not only a place where knowledge is given but also one where discipline, responsibility and respect for laws are taught, Shahbazli said. If children are to be taught to respect rules, adults must follow the same principle, he added.

Applying common rules equally to everyone matters both for order in the education environment and for the formation of a legal culture in society, he said.