Headscarf Politics in Turkey A Postcolonial Reading [Hardcover]

This book questions the 'role model' status of the Turkish Republic with respect to the advancement of female agency in a secular context by using the study of women with headscarves as a case in point. Turkey's commitment to modernization depends heavily on secularism which involves, among other things, the westernization of women's appearance.Foreword; J.Esposito Chronology of Significant Events Introduction Women in Nation Building Politics of Religion (1938-2000s) Social and Political Implications of the Ban on Headscarf In Search for Education, Employment, and More Conclusion Afterword; E.Avebury

Kavakci Islam's sensitive, deeply informed, and courageous investigation of formation of national identity provides great insight into the complex problems confronting Turkey in the post-Ottoman period of modernization, and particularly the role of women as symbols, victims, and agents. Though the focus is on Turkey and the politics of women's attire, the implications reach well beyond. It is a most timely and valuable contribution to understanding of difficult issues that arise in some form throughout today's world. - Noam Chomsky

A triumphant story of the discrimination against headscarved women, one which academically challenges the existing representations and challenges the reader to question easy assumptions. Written by a key member in the debate, Headscarf Politics in Turkey sheds light on one of the most highly disputed issues on the Turkish political agenda in the last decade: headscarf policy. Religious tolerance, women's rights, and modernity are all important components in this fascinating book by Merve Kavakci Islam, who looks at the topic from a unique combination of scholarly distance and personal involvement. This will be essential reading for scholars and students of comparative secular and religious ideologies, political science, and women's studies. - Ambassador Swanee Hunt, Eleanor Roosevelt Lecturer in Public Policy, Hlƒ'