In response to directives from the Opinion Board at the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, the University of Baghdad held a peaceful rally on the morning of Thursday, 22 October 2026, in the presence of the Assistant President of the University for Scientific Affairs, Prof. Dr. Suhail Najm Abdullah, and a number of faculty members, employees, and students, to condemn the decision to ban the hijab in educational institutions in Azerbaijan.
The University Presidency affirmed that educational institutions should remain spaces for knowledge, tolerance, and respect for diversity. It stressed the importance of safeguarding religious and personal freedoms and guaranteeing individuals’ right to education and to practice their beliefs without discrimination, in keeping with humanitarian principles and international conventions.
The participants raised the Iraqi flag to express their rejection of the decision, and to affirm the University of Baghdad’s support for respect for religious and cultural diversity, the protection of rights and freedoms, and the consolidation of the values of coexistence and mutual respect within educational institutions.
