WUNRN
Turkish
MPs Plan Headscarf Reform |
|||||
Two major parties in Turkey
have submitted a joint plan to parliament to ease a ban on the Islamic
headscarf in the country's universities. The Islamist-rooted governing AK Party and
the nationalist MHP say it is an issue of human rights and freedoms. The two parties have enough votes in
parliament to overturn the constitutional ban on headscarves. A strict headscarf ban has been in force in
universities since 1997. It was ordered by the secularist military. The issue is highly controversial in a
mainly Muslim country whose secular elite - including the powerful military -
sees the headscarf as a symbol of political Islam, the BBC's Sarah Rainsford
in Istanbul says. The move to ease the ban has been
criticised by judges and university officials.
"Solving the headscarf
issue would relax a large segment of the society," MHP leader Devlet
Bahceli was quoted as saying by the Associated Press news agency. "It is a question of rights and
freedoms," he added. The reforms are a compromise though, our
correspondent says. 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. Power struggle Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has
stressed that this reform will be restricted to universities. It will not apply to women civil servants,
including teachers, who are still banned from covering their heads. A power struggle last year between secular
forces and the governing AK Party ended with the AKP being comprehensively
re-elected in July. Opinion polls suggest there is strong public support for lifting the ban. And some women refuse to go to university because of it. |
================================================================
To leave the list, send your request by email to: wunrn_listserve-request@lists.wunrn.com.
Thank you.