The headscarf debate

Problem Politics

I received a very interesting email from sister Sena, she’s a Turkish hijabi with style and modesty, so why is she forced by law to live a double life?

“I have been “covered up” for 10 years I love being like that but to be honest it’s hard to be a muslim in Turkey. First of all we muslim girls who prefer to be covered up are not allowed to go to school in our normal clothes. We have to take our scarves off. That’s a real pain.. We have to be two different girls in the very same day.”

Turkish law bans the wearing of headscarves in places of education and state run companies. I don’t claim to know the ins and outs of every angle but as a Muslim woman I would be more than outraged if anyone forced me to take off my headscarf. But for our sisters in countries like Turkey and France this is a reality. Surely in most peoples minds to forcibly undress a woman would be totally scandalous, but for these governments it is seen as the best option. So why when most of Turkey is against the ban would they impose it?

They dress up the issue as a matter of protection for us poor little Muslim girls who are forced to wear the headscarf by our backwards family and tradition. But I think the real issue is the fact that they feel threatened by religion, it seems to be almost a warning against Islamic ideals. They are afraid that these ideals would filter into the political realm.

Contradictions Of the Law

But 99% of the population are Muslim and a clear majority are opposed to the ban. If a government is supposed to serve it’s country then they’re clearly not doing a very good job. The contradictions are obvious:

Not only are they violating the rights of those women who want to learn or work and wear the headscarf they are also preventing a lot of women from continuing their education, to me this is insanely backwards. This isn’t secularism, this is something a lot more sinister.

Human Rights

In this article I think the Human Rights Watch got it exactly right.

Rachel Denber (Human Rights Watch)

Headscarves do not pose a threat to public safety, health, order or morals, and they do not impinge on the rights of others, Human Rights Watch said. Furthermore, headscarves are not inherently dangerous or disruptive of order, and do not undermine educational functions.

Beyond Religion

Hmm I wonder what they would say to all those fashionable girls who wear a headscarf without any religious intention. Galliano would be out of a job for sure! Just take a look.

And John Galliano is not the only designer to be dressing up the models in scarves, Autumn/Winter 2009 is shaping up to be a very Muslimah friendly season. But more on that story later!…

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