The wearing of a headscarf was really not something that had
ever bothered me. I feel people can do as they please as long as it doesn't infringe
on my rights or liberty.
I have visited Istanbul many times, each time over the last
few years I have noticed a steady incline of women wearing headscarves. There
are beautiful women wearing casual clothing and a simple headscarf. Not a
problem and quite pleasing to the eye.
Then I noticed women wearing headscarves AND long
dresses..ok...AND A FULL COAT to the floor! In the heat of the summer, Istanbul
can reach 35 Degrees Celsius. I was feeling hot, this woman must have been
really hot. Torture is a word I enjoy using...but not in this context.
Maybe it has something to do with my own personal views. But
the next thing I saw made me angry. In the blistering heat of noon, in an restaurant
seated outside sat a woman. On her own at a table, she was dressed in a full
Hijab - wearing gloves, her face and eyes covered. She was trying to eat soup,
which she could only do by lifting the bottom of her Niqāb up a little, then
lowering it again.
Seated behind her at another table was her husband, in T
Shirt and shorts. Sitting with friends he was enjoying his lunch. occasionally,
he would turn around and check on her.
I'm not sure what I feel. I believe in 'choice' and 'Freedom
to choose'. What am I supposed to feel when I see something which I find
unequal? We must always accept others opinions and views. How they choose to
live their lives is their choice - I cannot pass judgemnet. But, I don't feel
comfortable with what I have seen.
I am aware that currently in Turkey there is a Headscarf
contraversy.. I can see why. there is a fear among people that by allowing the
wearing of a headscarf, the Niqāb, Hijab and Burqa are not far away.
Political freedom, religious freedom and Kemalist Ideology
are clashing. And a real friction is growing among people in Istanbul. One
thing I know...Being a (good) Muslim does not mean the wearing Niqāb, Hijab or Burqa.
A little background: Turkey has been a secular state since it was founded by Mustafa Kemal Atatürk in 1923. He introduced the secularization of the state in the Turkish Constitution of 1924, alongside Atatürk's Reforms. These were in accordance with the Kemalist Ideology, with a strict appliance of laicite in the constitution.
Atatürk saw headscarves as backward-looking and an obstacle to his campaign to secularize and modernize the new Turkish Republic. The issue of the headscarf debate has been very intense and controversial since it was banned.[1] Turkey is a secular country and over 95% of its people are Muslims.[2] It has resulted in a clash between those favouring the secular principles of the state, such as the Turkish Army,[3] and those who are more conservative with their religious beliefs.