Earlier this month, the Turkish government became more lenient with their ban on the hijab by allowing women who wish to observe the headscarf do so in universities. The ban, having been in effect for the past 11 years, prohibits women from wearing the hijab in schools and government offices in an effort to separate religion and state. The ban was eased on University students because the government realized that the ban was denying some women an education.

I remember going to a seminar once a couple of years back where I saw a short clip of a documentary about women in Turkey who tried to defy the ban. They showed cases of women wearing the hijab where it was prohibited, and then being brutally attacked by police officers, often having their headscarf teared away from them. One case in particular was of a woman who was prohibited from walking on stage to get her degree because she wore the hijab. So, on the day of graduation, she walked on stage and grabbed her diploma and degree, but was met with a lot of resistance. When I heard the ban was going to be eased, I thought of her.

I hope that now women who wear the hijab can go to universities now and by getting an education, they empower themselves and use that to go extend this right to wear the hijab to the rest of Turkish society. My hope is that soon, the ban will be lifted in high schools, then government offices, so that one day those in Turkish society who wear the hijab can do so proudly without being looked down upon by society. – Maahum Chaudhry