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Azerbaijanâ€™s Interior Minister comments on hijab problem

28 January 2011 10:40 (UTC +04:00)

â€œOur employees are attentive and vigilant in combating religious extremism, radicalismâ€

Baku. Hafiz Heydarov â€“ APA. Azerbaijanâ€™s Interior Minister Ramil Usubov spoke about the hijab-related problems in the country. APA reports that the Minister gave an interview to the Azerbayjan newspaper and said no force can damage stability in Azerbaijan.
â€œAnti-Azerbaijani network must know that any disgraced attempt against our state and people will fail as always. All our employees are attentive and vigilant in combating religious extremism, radicalism. The relevant bodies will prevent the attempts aiming to violate stability in the country,â€ he said.

Ramil Usubov said the great majority in Azerbaijan understands well the truth related to the hijab, the essence and the source of the problem.
â€œAzerbaijan is a country that accepts high Islamic values as fundamental moral principles, it is one of the best examples of religious tolerance in the world. Cultures, religions are living in the atmosphere of peace and mutual understanding here. No one is forbidden to perform the rites and wear clothes envisaged in his (her) religion. Our women and girls are free to wear hijab, there is no ban. But those who do not like the progressive environment, where there is freedom of belief, put forth a new claim â€“ girls must wear hijab at schools. This approach is inadmissible in terms of the values characteristic of the secular, civil society. Unique clothing style has been determined for the pupils of the secondary schools.

If anybody wants his daughter to wear hijab, he can do it out of the school, at home. Do those, who demand Azerbaijani woman to wear hijab, ask their opinion and position? Why they try to prevent the children to get education and to be useful for the society and force them to be behind the age?

Azerbaijani women made her choice: to be free and independent, to use her potential for the development of her people and country. Women have important role and high position in the society in modern Azerbaijan and there is full guarantee for their right to be free and competent citizen. Azerbaijani women are our national pride with her high moral qualities, honor, pride, honesty. Their role in our countryâ€™s socio-political life, science, education, culture and other spheres is undeniable.

Usubov also said that the morality, ethics are not only determined with outward appearance: â€œWe must attach importance to the enrichment of peopleâ€™s especially the teenagers and youthâ€™s world and spirit and their adaptation to the national values. I think that as well as the religious figure must pay attention to these topics. They must try to remove our citizens from fanaticism, ignorance, extremism, radicalism, and must make efforts to advocate our religionâ€™s real essenceâ€.