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The Turkish parliament is meeting for the first round of voting on a proposal to allow girls to wear the Islamic headscarf in universities.The scarf, seen as a symbol of political Islam in Turkey, was banned from campuses almost two decades ago.The government now argues that law deprives thousands of an education, but its plan to change the law has sparked large protest rallies by secular Turks.They fear it may be a first step to eroding the secular system in Turkey.Changing face of Turkey
In this mainly Muslim, but strictly secular, country the Islamic headscarf is banned from universities as a subversive political symbol.As two-thirds of all Turkish women cover their heads, that does mean thousands miss out on college.Many Turks agree that is unfair.The problem is the leaders of the current government once espoused political Islam and Turkey's powerful secular establishment doesn't trust them.They fear that lifting the headscarf ban is just the first of many steps to bring Islam into public life here, slowly changing the face of modern Turkey and putting pressure on those who do not cover up to do so.The government does have the backing of another party in parliament for its proposal, though it is likely to become law after a second voter later this week.But Turkey's main opposition party has already vowed to contest that in the constitutional court, insisting it is a threat to the secular system.
As in the days of Noah....
