Saturday, January 19, 2008

Turkey: Islam tells women to cover heads, says head of religious affairs office

Dhimmi Watch

Here is yet another example of a Muslim saying something that, when Western non-Muslims say it, quickly brings on the "Islamophobe" charges.

From the Turkish Daily News (thanks to the Constantinopolitan Irredentist) Islam undoubtedly requires women to cover their heads, Turkey's head of religious affairs said yesterday in a statement that coincides with the current discussions on lifting the headscarf ban in universities.

"As long as a woman says 'I am a Muslim,' she should cover her head," Professor Ali Bardakoğlu, president of the Religious Affairs Directorate, said in an interview with the private NTV channel.

"Discussions on the necessity of wearing headscarves or head coverings are of a legal and political nature. In religious terms, there is no doubt that they should," he said, adding that Islamic rules, dating back centuries, are unalterable.

"Politicians may forbid or allow the wearing of headscarves," Bardakoğlu said. "It is not my duty to tell them what to do," he added. "Whether Muslim women abide by the rule is up to their will," Bardakoğlu said, noting that the headscarf dispute can be solved with dialogue between political parties.

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