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Written by Mehran Derakhshandeh
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Monday, 18 February 2008 |
On Saturday February 9, the Turkish Parliament approved two constitutional
amendments easing the ban on women wearing Islamic headscarves in universities.
Some 411 MPs out of a total of 550 voted in favor of a first amendment, which
will insert a paragraph into Turkey’s constitution stating that everyone has the
right to equal treatment from state institutions.
MPs then backed by 403 to 108 votes a second amendment stating “no one can be
deprived of his or her right to higher education”.
The Turkish Parliament also voted to amend the charter of Turkey’s Higher
Education Institute (YOUK) to allow women wearing headscarves to attend Turkish
universities. Two main political parties in Turkey, namely the Justice and
Development Party (AKP) and the Turkish national movement (MHP) supported easing
the ban on headscarves.
A wide spectrum of Turkish politicians, university academics, and religious
leaders believe the easing of restrictions on headscarves in universities is
just a first step, and that restrictions should be further eased in all
government buildings and offices, as well as schools and all other higher
education establishments across Turkey. Turkish women who choose to cover their
heads in compliance with Islamic tradition, must not be discriminated against in
government offices, schools and universities. Otherwise this would be a gross
violation of their basic right to employment in government offices and their
right to receive a university education.
However, opposition political parties like the Republican Party and other
secularists vowed in advance of the vote that they would challenge the changes
in Turkey’s constitutional court if the parliament approved easing the ban. They
argue that the changes represent the imposition of religious beliefs into the
country’s strictly secular constitution.
However, the vast majority of Turkish women who wear the headscarf don’t accept
this argument and say the right to wear the headscarf and the right to receive
university education are basic human rights. They say the headscarf is simply an
expression of their personal religious beliefs.
The headscarves debate is a very emotional one in Turkey, often dividing
“secularists” from traditional Muslims. But as Nobel prize-winning Turkish
author Orhan Pamuk has pointed out, it is wrong to say that only women who
observe traditional Islam or those who support the Justice and Development Party
(AKP) wear headscarves. Many other Turkish women from across the political
spectrum, such as social democrats or those who support the national movement,
also wear the hijab.
Turkey’s population, of course, is predominantly Muslim, and the majority of
Turkish women cover their heads, meaning tens of thousands have been missing out
on the opportunity to attend university. Many Turks argue that is unfair, and
there has been widespread public support for easing of restrictions on wearing
headscarves.
Relaxation of the law banning Islamic headscarves in universities should be seen
for what it is: a first modest step towards restoration of the basic rights of
the majority of Turkish women who wish to observe the hijab.
Source: Baztab
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