Fashion Police: Religion and Turkey's Government

Thanks to my classmate Julia, I recently read an article from National Geographic explaining Turkey's lift on its ban of the Islamic headscarf, formally known as the hijab, for women who work in government or civil service jobs. The article discusses both the past and present regulations relating to the hijab and explains why such restrictions were enforced in the first place. While the ban on the Islamic headscarf was created in order to separate religion from the government and create a modern, secular state, recent changes illustrate a shift in political mindset. Such government choices, however, have sparked debate and represent the challenges of appropriately balancing religion, politics and appearance.

While some are fearful that this recent legislation demonstrates a shift towards an Islamic state, others view it as a necessary reform for human rights. These actions show how prevalent appearance is in our world today, as well as the political implications that go hand-in-hand with this meaningful and significant religious item. As a reader, this article challenged me to question the line between the religious significance of the hijab and the political implications that come with the implementation of or restriction from the Islamic headscarf. I believe that this challenge in thinking relates to my own identity and perspective of appearance, since I have never had to deal with the idea of the government playing such a large role in the determination of what I am allowed to wear.

Ultimately, I have come to the conclusion that the best way to fully experience and know one's self is through freedom of choice. I believe that it is difficult to fully understand who you are without having the choice of how to express yourself. Through such freedom, important ideas including acceptance can be illuminated. While I recognize the opposite side in the argument and other's fear that allowing headscarves will disrupt the secular nation of the state, I believe that appearance is a subject that everyone should have the choice in constructing for themselves in order to truly understand one's identity.

As a blogger, I hope that this post provoked thoughts and challenged you to question how dress defines who we are, as well as allowed you to think more deeply and develop newer perspectives on the religious and political ramifications of appearance. I welcome you to share your opinions and ideas!