Turkey is a Muslim country, isn’t it? And in Islam headscarves are strongly recommended for women who have come of age.
So how come it is forbidden by law to wear one in the public sphere here, such as at universities?
I cannot describe the feeling of embarrassment and sadness that I feel every time such questions are posed to me by guests from my homeland, Malaysia.
I could only reply with “That’s just how things are,” and leave further explanation of my statement to my husband.
It is not my place to condemn. It is not my place to bombard the country my husband and children are citizens of with criticism. In a way, this is also my land. A place I have called home for so many years.
However, one can’t help but feel sadness to see that in a country where 99 percent of the population is Muslim, there is this fear and opposition toward one of the obligations of the religion of Islam: the wearing of the headscarf.
From a foreigner’s perspective, one cannot help but ask: Why such fear? Why are the people against headscarves?
Is this because the people are ashamed to declare themselves Muslims? Is it because they think that when one wears the headscarf, she is no longer “worldly” and “sophisticated”?
Such opposition and fear I personally find extremely childish and silly. People wear headscarves. So what? Why the fuss about what one wears or does? Who are you to decide what others should wear and what they should not wear? What harm do people with headscarves cause to the country to make wearing headscarves in government institutions forbidden? As far as I can see, the people with headscarves mind their own business and hope that those around them will respect their choice of clothing style without being gawked at as if they have done something wrong.
Coming from a multiethnic country with a variety of religions and beliefs freely practiced, I truly find the current situation in Turkey depressing. The freedom to practice one’s own religion is restricted. And worse, people who set the laws to forbid headscarves come from the same religion! That makes the whole situation more pathetic than ever. Where is the open-mindedness of the people? Or is there a hidden plot?
Take Malaysia for example. Do all Muslims there wear headscarves? The answer is no. Muslims around the world or those of other religions vary in their level of religious devotion. Some are more devoted, others less.
The same is true with Muslims in Malaysia. Some wear headscarves while others do not. Some cover their bodies with modest clothing as suggested by Islam while others wear extremely sexy clothing. But do we condemn each other? Do we make a law that requires Muslims should wear this or that? Do we focus on one group or the other in the media? No we do not. We respect each other’s life choices even if we personally disapprove of them. We do not degrade each other. No one is made fun of. The golden rule is to respect each other (regardless of religion and lifestyle) so that we can all live in harmony. Which brings us back to the question: Why can’t Turkey? There is one dominant religion here and the headscarf debate has become a major issue when it really should not be.
I clearly remember one of our holidays last year. My husband attended a conference in Çeşme, and the kids and I decided to tag along. I was personally quite worried since I wear a headscarf.
Will they allow me to enter the pool or the beach with my “tesettür” (Islamic) swimwear, I wondered.
It was an international conference and nobody said anything since I am clearly a foreigner, though I did speak Turkish with my children. What I noticed was, being the only one in the tesettur swimwear, people -- and especially the Turks -- stared at me unabashedly. I think they just couldn’t believe their eyes, seeing that a headscarved person dared to be there. They disapproved of my presence but I ignored them all. I had the right to be there just like everyone else. I actually giggled when one of the Turks could no longer contain his curiosity and finally approached me to ask in his Turkish-English accent, “Where are you from?”
Frankly speaking, it was uncomfortable to be there as well for me. It was no fun to be stared at when you were trying to enjoy a nice holiday with your children. But I think in the audacity of my presence, I hope I had made the point that everyone is free to be where they want to be. I did not feel such opposition from people from other countries. That is why I think people opposed to the headscarf need to rethink their own personal views and need to be more open minded. I remember one summer when a group of ladies dared to defy the norm and went to the beach in Bodrum with headscarves and full covering -- they were shown on TV!
It was also during that one holiday in Çeşme that a particular incident really made me sad. My kids and I decided to swim in one of the hotel’s pools. A group of young people (male and female) were already there, diving and swimming. The moment we entered the pool, they started to move to the other side of the pool, looked at each other and began to give us dirty looks while whispering to each other. Being the stubborn person that I am, I stood my ground and stayed in the pool until my children had enough fun swimming and playing there.
The moment we left the poolside area to head for the beach, the group of young people started to cheer. Despite all the “attitude” I encountered, I did enjoy my holiday immensely. Maybe that is because I am not “normal”, as people with headscarves usually choose not to burden themselves with such stares. They prefer places where headscarved women gather. With the exception of that one holiday, we do too.
But that is not a solution. The point is that Turks should learn to respect each other’s life choices. They should be more open-minded. The sad thing is that not every Turk opposes headscarves. This opposition only comes from a certain group of people. However, this group of people controls the law, the media and, with that, manages to influence the minds of those less educated. This is a pity really because, in my opinion at least, the Turks are among the warmest people I have ever met -- second only to Malaysians, of course!
The fact that the present government is trying hard to lift the ban on headscarves at universities is wonderful news indeed. I think those wearing headscarves in this country only ask for simple things: fairness and respect. This is not too much to ask for as it is their right to ask for it.
Not too long ago I read in a newspaper that the Republican People’s Party’s (CHP) MP Canan Arıtman said, “Örtülerinizi atın, özgürleşin” (take off your headscarves and be free!). I think her concept of freedom is wrongly misplaced, because freedom entails the ability to choose for oneself what to wear and not to be told what to wear. Fine, she has her own view and is free to express it. But neither Arıtman nor anyone else has the right to force anyone else to conform to such a predefined concept of freedom.
There is also fear among some people that Turkey will become like Malaysia, with headscarves being one of the topics in question. From Malaysian’s perspective, there is no way Turkey can become Malaysia if the people are not free to be what they want to be.
29.01.2008
SİMAH ZAİM İSTANBUL
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