Turkey's women movement upcoming challenge

Published 23 Jul,2020 via Hürriyet Daily News - When the young pianist Büşka Kayıkçı qualified this week to be among the young musicians to perform during the Istanbul Jazz Festival, she received both praise and disapproval on social media. Her headscarf drew criticism both from seculars and the pious. Paradoxically, these two segments were unified in their incomprehension of a Muslim women performing a music style which is attributed to the (Christian) West. Had a pious, or conservative man been qualified, we would not have had this discussion, since we would not have known this person’s social or political leanings.

Muslim women have long been fighting one group of seculars whose restrictive approach to their outfits have forced the limits of freedom of conscience. Ever since the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) has been in power, Muslim women, especially those coming from the ruling party’s constituent base are waging a fight on a second front: Against those men and (sometimes women) in their conservative neighborhood.

According to Islam, music is forbidden, reacted one to the young artist. “Women cannot work where men work,” wrote another on social media. For the extremist men among the pious, women have categorically a second place in life, not just in daily life, but also even in performing religious duties.