Azerbaijan, Baku, Oct. 27 / Trend News U.Sadikhova /

The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom has recognized a ban on wearing headscarves as violation of human rights to freedom of religion and freedom of expression in its annual report, the U.S. Department of State reported.

Regarding the ban on wearing hijab (the Islamic head scarves) in public and educational institutions in Turkey, Assistant Secretary Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor U.S. Department of State, Michael H. Posner, said that the headscarf is a form of religious affiliation.

"Our hope would be that societies would find a way to allow people to express their religious attitude, their religious belief in nonviolent ways," Posner said.

According to Turkey's Constitution, hijab is prohibited in public and educational institutions.

Although the Turkish ruling Justice and Development Party has abolished this law, the Constitutional Court decided on its restoration.

Raising the issue of the ban on hijab in public institutions in Turkey in the report suggests that the department is trying to encourage, in a general way, governments to find - look, revisit questions about symbolic representations of religion that are nonviolent, Posner added.

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