Senior Iranian cleric slams Azeri veil ban

BAKU – A senior Iranian cleric has criticized the ban on wearing veils in Azerbaijani schools, calling on citizens to come out against the measure.

Grand Ayatollah Nasser Makarem Shirazi said considering that Azerbaijan is a Muslim country, its citizens should wear headscarves and comply with Islamic canons overall.

"The Azerbaijani people should peacefully resist this anti-Islamic decision and prevent these challenges to Islamic sacred values… Azerbaijani dignitaries should be advised not to succumb to foreign instigators and hear the voice of their people," Shirazi claimed.

There is no explicit ban on the wearing of headscarves in schools, but the government in Baku this year introduced a standard school uniform which precludes traditional Islamic dress.