A Half-Step Forward
COMING ANARCHY BLOG
By Chirol on Turkestan
For such a seemingly insignificant piece of cloth, the headscarf has been at the center of controversy in both Europe and Turkey. While Europeans want to ban or limit wearing overtly religious clothing and symbols in public schools, Turkey has been fighting to allow it. They key point in Turkey however, is that until now, those who have worn a headscarf have been banned from school leaving large groups of young women uneducated. In a country combating both separatism and Islamic radicalism, it is a dangerous and short sighted policy.
The ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) and the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) have finally agreed on a series of amendments to the Turkish constitution which would remove the headscarf ban in universities. Between the two, they have enough votes in parliament to pass it. Yet, what is seemingly an obvious step forward to Europe and America is still bitterly controversial. In fact, both academics and Islamists have risen to protest the move. According to the BBC, the proposal, however, falls short of striking down the policy instead being a compromise between two hardline positions.
The proposed changes state that only traditional scarves will be permitted in universities, tied loosely under the chin. Headscarves that cover the neck, like those worn by many Turkish girls, will still be banned, as will the all-covering burka, or chador.
In addition, the reform is aimed solely at universities and will therefore not cover civil servants such as teachers who will still be banned from covering their heads in any way. While short of what many outsiders and indeed many Turks want, it is nevertheless a step forward. Yet, Turkish op-ed writers have attacked it for being both absurd and only a piecemeal solution. Journalist Mustafa Karaalio?lu notes "If the headscarf is tied under the chin, it will be in compliance with the principle of secularism, but if it is fastened with a pin, it will be a threat to secularism." Others ask "Is there … another country in the world where the state describes how clothing should be worn by its citizens?"
Yet, this political circus over a piece of cloth is far from ridiculous. With the AKP in both the Prime Minister's office and President's office and having strong public support, radical secularists have gone from being alarmed to downright paranoid about all things religious. While secularists often accuse the AKP of having secret plans to Islamicize Turkey and do away with secularism, the AKP has ironically been one of the most modern and reformist influence on the country in recent years. While work remains to be done, the AKP has both a strong and consistent record of pro-European reform and in reality espouses more Western and democratic values than their secular and nationalist counterparts.
Indeed, it is the semi-oppressed religious Turks who stand to gain the most from true freedom of religion. Unlike in Europe and the United States, Turkey does not practice separation of church and state but instead uses the government to control the religion, sanctioning religious schools and training imams. Ironically, this puts Turkey in line with Muslim dictatorships who stifle both civil and religious dialogue leaving activists little recourse but to radicalism whether political or religious.
Ironically, as time goes on, it may indeed be the secular and nationalist parties who represent the biggest threat to Turkish democracy and civil harmony. Should the debate drag on and no legal progress be made, Turkey may one day end up with overtly religious parties being the true democrats and reformers and western secularists espousing authoritarian and undemocratic values. Confusing as it may sound, it wouldn't be surprising in Turkey. |
