Turkey’s parliament has lifted the ban on womens’ head scarves in universities, a politically fraught move that nonetheless should be welcomed. “Secular” protesters are taking to the streets with their flags and fervor, which is why I put “secular” in quotes — these folks are under the sway of a competing religion, Kemalism, the near-deification of Kemal Ataturk and the hysterical association of Islamic faith with the death of modern Turkey.
The issue of religious coercion of women is real. But my view would be different if the nationalists were truly supporters of secular freedoms. Instead they’re among the first to call for prosecution of journalists and all else who run afoul of state ideology. “We will never allow our country to be dragged back into the dark ages,” says one nationalist head scarf opponent. I’m afraid it’s the flag-wavers who stand the greatest chance of doing that.
Comments are closed.