Turkey eases ban on headscarves

[Ms DD]

Turkey eases ban on headscarves

 

Turkey's parliament has approved two constitutional amendments easing the ban on women wearing Islamic headscarves in universities.

The issue is deeply divisive in Turkey, where the state is strictly secular, and protests are expected.

 

The government said the ban meant many girls were being denied an education.

 

But the secular establishment, including generals and academics, see this as a first step to allowing Islam to figure more largely in public life.

 

Burka ban

 

Parliament voted 403-107 in favour of a first amendment, which will insert a paragraph into the constitution stating that everyone has the right to equal treatment from state institutions, Parliament Speaker Koksal Toptan was quoted by AP as saying.

 

MPs then backed by 403-108 votes a second amendment stating "no-one can be deprived of [his or her] right to higher education", AP said.

 

 

We say it will damage secularity... Once you do that - we believe you damage democracy

Ural Akbulut

Rector of Middle East Technical University

 

 

Opposition parties said in advance of the vote that they would challenge the changes in the constitutional court if they were passed.

A strict headscarf ban had been in force in Turkish universities since 1997. The ban came after the staunchly secularist military had exerted pressure to oust a government it saw as too Islamist.

 

The changes state that only traditional scarves will be permitted in universities, tied loosely under the chin. Headscarves that cover the neck are still banned, as is the chador and the all-enveloping burka.

 

Ural Akbulut, rector of the Middle East Technical University, in Ankara, says the changes represent the imposition of religious beliefs into the constitution.

 

"We say it will damage secularity," he told the BBC. "Once you do that - we believe you damage democracy."

 

Missing out

 

The BBC's Sarah Rainsford says those who wear the headscarf dismiss that as paranoia.

 

 

They say the scarf is simply an expression of their personal religious belief.

As Turkey's population is predominantly Muslim, two-thirds of all Turkish women cover their heads, meaning thousands have been missing out on the opportunity to attend college. Many Turks argue that is unfair and there has been widespread public support for the move.

 

But tens of thousands of people who were against lifting the ban are expected to join protest rallies in the capital on Saturday.

 

 

Story from BBC NEWS:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/world/europe/7236128.stm

[MAXIMUS POWERS]

The niqab is a ‘mark of separation’. I personally believe it promotes segregation. Islam teaches us to dress modestly; wearing the niqab is neither modest nor safe. People are being attacked in London all the time.

 

TheMarc

[Ms DD]

Copied straight from previous speech of T Blair.

 

 

You are just jealous as you cant see it all.

[MAXIMUS POWERS]

i am really concerned about this issue! Leaving the 'buzz words' behind for a minute! I am really worried about the tirades of racial remarked being directed at sistas with the niqab. It’s also not safe. Why cant Muslim women dress Islamic and beautiful at the same time. When I see the niqab, I see an object not an individual! Muslims need to adapt their faith with a modern and progressive society like the UK.

[Ms DD]

Check out who's waxing the usual tirade straight out of BNP manual. How progressive do you want the muslim lady to be? Shouldnt you congratulate her for her courage and braving the niqab in this hostile environment?

 

I am also fed up with people not giving the sisters the freedom to express their faith. It is a choice and with all the niqabi sisters I have met, niqab never hindred their progress in whichever path they chose. The more sisters wear it, the more it will become part and a parcel of this multicultural soceity.

[grasshopper]

Originally posted by Ms DD:

I am also fed up with people not giving the sisters the freedom to express their faith. It is a choice and with all the niqabi sisters I have met, niqab never hindred their progress in whichever path they chose

right on, sis! banning a woman from wearing the niqab is the same thing as forcing her to do so. same coin, different side

[MAXIMUS POWERS]

Thanks to Muslim extremist and their tirades of self-opinionated extremist bile agenda, i don’t think we longer live in a tolerant and multicultural society. People have become suspicious of Muslims and this is largely due to extremist and their extreme views. As a Somali Muslim and British! I can truly say, I own a sense of allegiance to the UK. When i was stranded and they offered me an opportunity to better oneself. So why should we kill innocent people on the trains and then claim to reaping the benefits of a multicultural society.

 

TheMarc

[Baluug]

I don't know why we're getting off track here, this is about hijabs in Turkey, not niqabs in UK.

 

Grasshopper's right, you can't force someone to wear hijab, at the same time you can't force someone not to. We all have our personal choices, why is it "dangerous" and "a threat to democracy" if a sister exercises her personal freedom and covers herself according to what Allah SWT has commanded? It's mindboggling.

[Ms DD]

Originally posted by marcassmith:

Thanks to Muslim extremist and their tirades of self-opinionated extremist bile agenda, i don’t think we longer live in a tolerant and multicultural society.

Where I live, people are quite tolerant. But why would you want them to be tolerant of you when you aint so tolerant of the choices niqabis isters make?

Originally posted by marcassmith:

People have become suspicious of Muslims and this is largely due to extremist and their extreme views.

Who is people? Do you mean the daily mail readers? Cos as far as I can tell, the usual racists and bigots shout the loudest.

 

Who decides an individual to be extreme? Some deem the normal small hijab to be extreme, some even call those who attend the masjids just to pray 5 times a day extremist?

Originally posted by marcassmith:

As a Somali Muslim and British! I can truly say, I own a sense of allegiance to the UK.

Good for you.

Originally posted by marcassmith:

When i was stranded and they offered me an opportunity to better oneself.

Good for you

Originally posted by marcassmith:

So why should we kill innocent people on the trains and then claim to reaping the benefits of a multicultural society.

 

TheMarc

Classic. You sure you dont work for far right group? 99.9% of all muslims in this country are peaceloving law abiding citizens. How did we jump from niqabi sisters exercising their religious freedom and democratic choice to muslim murderers on the dole?

[Ms DD]

You are right Cadaan. The issue about this fantastic news from Turkey.

[N.O.R.F]

Well done to the AKP.

 

Marc, stop the nonesense mate.

 

MPs then backed by 403-108 votes a second amendment stating "no-one can be deprived of [his or her] right to higher education", AP said.

:cool:

[chubacka]

alhamdulliah, about time this "muslim" country started to let these women exercise their basic human rights.

[umu zakaria]

Subxanaalah. what do we expect from other non Islamic state when Turkey is being so hostile and unfair to its own people and to its own faith.Iam and have been so disappointed with Turkey.

 

Islam will blossom regardless, and kudos to the sisters who despite their aggresive regime, sacrifice their education. May Allah reward them with jannah insha Allah.

[Fabregas]

Originally posted by marcassmith:

The niqab is a ‘mark of separation’. I personally believe it promotes segregation. Islam teaches us to dress modestly; wearing the niqab is neither modest nor safe. People are being attacked in London all the time.

 

TheMarc

You would have noticed the article with regards to Turkey says " headscarf". Thousands of young men don't go to educational students because they're allowed to wear a heardscarf. That is a completely different issue with the Niqab in Britain. Which is what you are referring to....