Comment

Comment by Semiha Topal on January 23, 2011 at 9:59pm

Yes, it was two months ago when the secularist opposition party was trying to trap the conservative government into a conditional solution of the headscarf problem. The headscarf ban is not written in the constitution but the supporters of the ban find the legal point of it in certain interpretations of the constitutional court. So, this headscarf ban is actually arbitrary but it is so vehemently supported by the secularist bodies (the opposition party, the military, and the judiciary) that any attempt by the government to solve this issue returns as a threat to close down the party. But recently the opposition party changed its leader, and the new leader makes some populist statements to steal the votes of the government party. So, he first said that he was ready to help to lift the ban, but then he limited it to university students only, and he also limited it to a certain style of wearing the scarf, which would leave some of the hair uncovered (as in the Iranian model). So, supporters of headscarf freedom protested this conditional `freedom` and demanded to wear it everywhere, including elementary school, high school, university, and in public service. The headscarf ban is in its twelfth year now, so the protests of the Islamists have faded remarkably. That's why you see only around thirty people there, and they were not assertive at all in their chantings (especially the ladies). I think people are tired of the headscarf debate, and they got used to living with this ban for so many years, that we don't see strong protests anymore.

Comment by Francine Barone on January 21, 2011 at 10:27pm

Thanks for sharing these photos. Do you have any more information or commentary about this demonstration that you can share with us?