Turks protest over plan to reverse headscarf ban

[sputnik]

Turks protest over headscarf plan
By Sarah Rainsford
BBC News, Istanbul



Thousands of Turks have rallied in Ankara to protest against a government plan to allow women to wear the Islamic headscarf in Turkish universities.
The protestors fear such a move would usher in a stricter form of Islam in Turkey, which is a secular state.

Turkey's parliament is expected to approve a constitutional amendment to ease the ban next week.

The ban on the headscarf in higher education was imposed in the 1980s, and has been enforced for the past decade.

A huge crowd gathered at the mausoleum of Ataturk - the man who founded Turkey as a modern, secular republic.

Fearing the gains of his revolution are in danger, the protestors came waving Ataturk's image on banners and carrying the national flag.

Political symbol

The government - which is led by devout Muslims - is pushing a reform that would allow women to wear the religious headscarf to university.

The scarf has been banned outright in private and state universities for almost two decades.

The government argues the ban deprives thousands of women of a higher education.

But Turkey's powerful, secular establishment sees the headscarf as a symbol of political Islam - a threat to their secular way of life, and to the political system here.

Those opposed to the reform include the military, Turkey's judges and university rectors.

They fear it is just the first step to allowing religious symbols into all aspects of public life.

The constitutional amendment is likely to be passed by parliament, where the government has the support of the main nationalist party.

But such is the controversy that the changes are almost certain to be contested in the constitutional court.


Story from BBC NEWS:
BBC NEWS | Europe | Turks protest over headscarf plan

Published: 2008/02/02 17:43:17 GMT

© BBC MMVIII

[witchcurlgirl]

Ataturk wanted Turkey to be a "modern" country. He understood that a modern country needs to be secular. In his his reforms he gave women rights, and they elected 18 women to the Turkish parliament in 1935, when many countries hadn't even given women the right to vote.

The religious groups want to take that back. The head scarf is just the first step.

If a religious group requires clothing for women, but doesn't require the same for men then it is subjugating women. If the clothing requirements applied to both sexes it would be all right, but somehow the requirements always seem to exclude men.

Political Islam, in fact Political Any Religion is a threat

[sputnik]

plus, i think the qu'uran doesn't mention headscarves directly. it's a later interpretation given by muslim societies and is more a cultural practice than a religious one, though the two have become intrinsically linked.

[witchcurlgirl]

Originally Posted by sputnik

plus, i think the qu'uran doesn't mention headscarves directly. it's a later interpretation given by muslim societies and is more a cultural practice than a religious one, though the two have become intrinsically linked.

It does always seem to be men deciding what God wants women to do

[sputnik]

^^^
exactly!

[Chilly Willy]

European Union, my ass.