Why is hijab banned in turkey

Image source, AP. Women in Turkey's police and security forces may now wear headscarves. This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.

Hala Hindawi explains why she likes to wear a hijab. The fall and rise of the headscarf. In , Turkey's universities abandoned an official ban on Muslim headscarves Three years later, women were allowed to wear headscarves in state institutions - with the exception of the judiciary, military and police.

That year, four MPs wore headscarves in parliament A ban on policewomen wearing the Islamic headscarf was lifted in Most people in Turkey are Sunni Muslims. Related Topics. Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan Islamic veils. Published 19 January Published 27 August Published 3 June Published 4 March Anyone can publish with us, but everyone goes through a rigorous editorial process. So, you get fact-checked, well-reasoned content instead of noise.

We also conduct education and training programs on subjects ranging from digital media and journalism to writing and critical thinking.

Servers, editors, trainers and web developers cost money. Please consider supporting us on a regular basis as a recurring donor or a sustaining member. If you have any questions, work inquiries, or really anything else don't hesitate to contact us using this form.

Finance Eurozone International Trade. Entrepreneurship Startups Technology. Entertainment Music Film Books Travel. Climate change Smart cities Green Economy. By Nathaniel Handy. Wear Western Hats Condemnations of headscarf bans might ordinarily be expected to emanate from regimes such as the Iranian theocracy or the Saudi conservative monarchy. I agree to receive emails and other content from Fair Observer.

I understand that I may repeal my consent at any time. You can review our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use for further information. Embed from Getty Images. Make a Donation Become a Member. Share Story. Fair Observer Recommends.

We Need Your Consent We use cookies to give you the best possible experience. Learn more about how we use cookies or edit your cookie preferences. Privacy Policy. My Options I Accept. Close Edit Cookie Preferences The Fair Observer website uses digital cookies so it can collect statistics on how many visitors come to the site, what content is viewed and for how long, and the general location of the computer network of the visitor.

These statistics are collected and processed using the Google Analytics service. Fair Observer uses these aggregate statistics from website visits to help improve the content of the website and to provide regular reports to our current and future donors and funding organizations. The type of digital cookie information collected during your visit and any derived data cannot be used or combined with other information to personally identify you. The Turkish Foreign Ministry said in a statement the ruling was a sign of rising Islamophobia at a time when it said Muslim women in Europe are being subjected to increasing discrimination for their religious beliefs.

On Saturday, the Turkish presidency's communication director Fahrettin Altun condemned the move, saying "this wrong decision is an attempt to grant legitimacy to racism. The issue of the hijab, the traditional headscarf worn around the head and shoulders, has been divisive across Europe for years, underlining sharp differences over integrating Muslims.

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan's Islamist-rooted AK Party, which came to power in blending a pro-Western, democratic market approach, has been criticised by Western allies in recent years for increasing authoritarianism and religious intolerance. The United States, Greece, Russia and church leaders expressed concern last year over his government's move to convert Istanbul's Hagia Sophia into a mosque last year.