Headscarf War Continues Dividing Turkey

June 10th, 2008 by Fred Stopsky

The aftermath of Turkey’s Constitutional Court decision which invalidated a parliament action in lifting the ban on women wearing a headscarf continues to bitterly divide the nation.

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This is a situation in which opposing sides each raise valid concerns.The right of women who wear a headscarf requires some process which would allow them to attend a university while still respecting the rights of secular women not to be intimidated for refusing to wear one.This is the crux of the entire debate. Secular Turkish women fear allowing wearing a headscarf at the university is the first step toward making it mandatory at secondary schools. They worry about peer pressure on young girls that will end up in all girls wearing a headscarf throughout the education system. Unless the concerns of both sides are respected this controversy will continue.