Turkey ends ban on head scarves

On February 9th, the Turkish Parliament voted overwhelmingly in favor of amending their Constitution to end a ban on head scarves in schools and universities. The ban was enacted in the 1990s as many authorities believed that the growing number of women covering their heads threatened Turkey's secularism, one of the nation's founding principles. Many of the secular elite feel that ending this ban is a move toward a more repressive Islamic regime. Others, however, argue that the veil has multiple meanings and that ending the ban will allow more women to attend university.

Turkey is rather unique in its attempts to balance Islam, democracy and secularism. Does this constitutional amendment signify a decrease in secularism and an increase in Islamic influences? Or can the country still maintain its secular principles? This new law will help more women attend universities, but could it also make more women feel obliged to wear head scarves?

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/10/world/europe/10turkey.html?scp=1&sq=turkey+head+scarves&st=nyt

http://www.feminist.org/news/newsbyte/uswirestory.asp?id=10814