Hate Campaign Targets Azerbaijan's President Over Hijab Stance

An online incitement campaign has been launched against Azerbaijan's president, Ilham Aliyev, over his opposition to the wearing of the hijab in public spaces. The pro-Israel president was attacked on social media, where doctored photos of him wearing a kippah and sporting an exaggerated nose were published — a jab at his sympathy for Israel.

The antisemitic campaign portrays Aliyev as "an enemy of Islam and an agent of Israel and of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu." According to assessments, those behind the campaign are elements from Turkey, Iran, and Russia.

Last month, the government in Baku announced new regulations barring students from arriving at school dressed in clothing that deviates from the official school uniform. The regulations presented by the Azerbaijani government did not mention the hijab explicitly, but after they were introduced, reports emerged that female students and teachers wearing an Islamic head covering were not permitted to enter schools.

Opponents of the Azerbaijani president began posting messages claiming that the close relations between Azerbaijan and Israel were among the reasons that led the Azerbaijani authorities to advance legislation on the matter. At the same time, caricatures were circulated online mocking Aliyev while making use of classic antisemitic stereotypes.