Imagine a pro democracy demonstration against religious extremists who want to impose a tyranny on their country.
Should make headlines, right? Wrong.
Yet such a demonstration was held in Ankara Turkey last weekend when a quarter million people demonstrated against a leading political party choosing an Islamicist as their candidate.
Many women worry that Islamicist laws will weaken their civil rights, and even lifing the ban on headscarves could result in social pressure and even gangs terrorizing women who declined to cover up, a phenomenum that occured in the immigrant enclaves outside Paris.
Right now, 60% of Turkish women wear a head covering in public, but theoretically it is illegal.
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Nancy Reyes is a retired physician living in the rural Philippines. Her webpage is Finest Kind Clinic and Fishmarket
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1 user commented in " When Moderates protest, they are ignored "
Follow-up comment rss or Leave a TrackbackJust a clarification. Wearing a headcovering in public (i.e., on the streets, at the market, etc.) is not even theoretically illegal in Turkey. Where it is banned is in public institutions, meaning inside universities, in government buildings, parliament, etc. There is a distinction. As a Turk, I also question the 60% number given for women who wear headcoverings. The BBC stat came from a leaked “opinion poll.” Not sure how reliable that is. But, in any case it should be pointed out that the poll included traditional (non-islamic) head coverings - similar to what a Russian babushka might wear, a kerchief that keeps the hair out of one’s face when working outside - but that does not completely cover the hair. These are all seemingly small distinctions, but in Turkey, they are significant and worth pointing out.
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