As an observer living and operating totally outside a culture it is not possible to ever really know what is going on. In regard to freedom of choice, particularly for women, all over the globe that is a rare and valued gift. It creates fear in my female heart to think this government act may mean some reduction of personal freedom for these women. But that is a purely emotional response, and I cannot know whether my reaction is valid or not.

It may be this government's action does indeed constitute a confirmation of the very valuable boon of indivual freedoms. In that case it is to be applauded. Let us believe they are acting in good faith and this is an action with the freedom of the individual as it's first priority

Dear conscience-to-the-world,
Why can't you have a look at the Quran fully. Then why can't come here again to comment on that bizzarre culture. Millions of people doesn't have any problem with this culture, then why do you worry. Ask a muslim women who wears a hijab. What she feels....
For me it is bizzarre that the world has no problem for showing animal behaviour. Don't you feel crazy on nude shows. Is it culturally rational or sensible to have erotic shows, wild parties, prostitution, all the nasty other stuffs etc....
It is bizzarre that you lost the conscience. And ofcourse if you agree up on these nasty things Islam is an abnormal culture for YOU.

Who is this reporter to say on hijab. Does he practices Islam. Only muslims has the right to talk abt it. Who is a muslim? A muslim is the one who obeys allah, Who obeys his rules in Quran and Hadith. Why a Muslim women wear Hijab? It is her relegious responsibility advocated by Allah through his Quran.
The Author and family may have the faith as a personal matter.Of course it is up to him and his mother. But if you weigh what Islam says based on Quran and Hadith then clearly they are on the wrong path. It is very common that people looks like Muslim names come and talk about islam. But nothing will stop the real beleivers to practice their faith. I can say myself as a muslim, but it is not what counted(It uses only to count the world muslim population) if you beleives in the hereafter as mentions in the Quran. If you beleive in GOD then the GOD understand clearly who is his slave.
The reporter while discussing about islamic matters tells that "I feel", Who cares his feelings. Muslims adopt quran and sunnah and not others feelings. Muslims faith is to show the obedience to allah not to show up the people. So as of hijab they wear as a relegious obligation. It has nothing to do with politics. May generations has gone with ill feelings on hijab even from mulim community. But it never stoped people to practice their faith. In my state of india only a handful of muslims where wearing hijab around 10 to 20 years back and perhaps you could find no niqab at all. And now in this modern age, even after so much criticism on their faith only handful of women left to wear hijab. Even those who are not wearing hijab is starting to develop a complex and they used to put the sari over their head.
The faith is matter from the heart and either the west or Anvar sher or his mother have no place in muslim women heart(I din't mean mulim name). They listens to their heart to be true obedient and for it they looks in quran and sunnah and not in the media reports. This is inherrent in all human beings. Let ANWAR SHER and HIS FATHER AND MOTHER wear what ever they want and let who likes in those turks to wear their Hijab. It need not be a concern for ANWAR SHER as HIS FATHER SAYS. It is their personal faith that they found from quran.

Unfortunately,today, more than 50 years later, in a much more educated and diverse Pakistan, your mother could not safely visit a tribal area unveiled without a well-armed escort. Not only would she have to veil, but Egyptian or Iranian or pre-wahabi Indonesian style hijab would not be sufficient - it would have to be a full veil. The reasons are not religious - they are political.

The sad fact is that because of enconomic conditions and legacy tribal custom, women all over the world are soft targets for extremists of all kinds who wish to use them to control the whole society. Attacks on women for a made up reason involving so-called "honor" (like being unveiled) are easy and are rarely punished because they play into prejudice and uncertainties and doubts that are cultural memes. By attacking women in ways that society won't act to stop, the political extremists attack the whole family and control both men and women. In this context, the veil becomes a shorthand for identifying targets to attack in a battle for political control of overall society.

We've seen how it goes. First attack women who are wearing skirts that show any ankle (or higher). Then those who wear pants. Next ones who don't veil - after that ones who don't veil enough or with the right drape or color. Now come attacks on women who venture outside without a male escort. Finally, attack all women who move outside the home for any reason - even economic or educational or religious reasons. The results are that the whole family must be subservient to the political and economic aims of the extremists or suffer unremitting attack. These attacks target women but they are terribly harmful to the whole family.

For examples see today's news out of Basra, Iraq or the Talibanization of Afghanistan or the wahabization of Indonesia. You can also see clothing and "cover" related restrictions on women that symbolize a family's conformance with political extremism here in the United States where outlaw polygamous groups and some Christian Dominionist groups require women to wear distinctive and non-functional clothing.

In today's context, veiling is not religious it is the political tool of extremists. In places where the extremists are targeting civil society (i.e. separation of church and state) - like Turkey - society has the right to protect itself by prohibiting the targeting device (veils) in government-centric settings like publicly funded schools and government employment.

*The hijab represents freedom,not oppression*(!)(?)
In that case,the most free women in the world are those in Iran and Saudi Arabia and Afghanistan...

Both sides have points but the determination to view the hijab as oppression is wrong. Yes there have been cases of women coerced into covering and that is wrong but for many Muslim women the hijab represents freedom, not oppression. We have to acknowledge that reality, just as feminists had to finally acknowledge that not every woman who wanted to lead a domestic life was capitulating to the oppressor.

Freedom for women in Turkey would allow them to wear hijab should they choose, as well as to not wear it.

HELLO ALL MUSLIM PEOPLE:

HEADSCARVES MUST BE WORN BY ALL MUSLIM BOYS AND MEN AND OLD MEN!
WHILE ALL MUSLIM WOMEN HAVE THEIR OWN RIGHT TO WEAR NOTHING! IF THEY WANT FRESH AIR BLOWING AND CARRESING THEIR BODIES FOR THEIR GOOD SAKE! AND ENJOYING GOOD TIME WITHOUT WORRYING OF WEARING ANY KIND OF RAGS ON THEIR BODIES!!!
MAKE SENSE????

February 9, 2008 9:27 PM | Report Offensive Comments

conscience-to-the-world :
Hello World!
It seems to be Muslim culture is the crazy culture! or an abnormal culture!!!!
Who can prove that culture is rational????? or real make sense to people? especially to all muslim women????
So let all muslim boy wear headscarves and let all muslim women wear nothing!!!
Make sense?
If you don't try! the you don't know!
So let's try all of you!!!!

February 9, 2008 9:22 PM | Report Offensive Comments

conscience-to-the-world :
To all muslim women:

If you must wear headscarves all the time as muslim rules and traditional requirements then all of you should raise your voices to ask for wearing bikinis and also wearing headscarves!
or better wear nothing except only wearing headscarves!
This is fair to all of you! all all muslim boys can feel good about all of you already wear headscarves as they force you to do so!

Muslim boys want all muslim women wear clothes look exactly like glosts with the ghost-like black rags covering entirely their bodies except to leave to holes to let you see the world!
But muslim boys love to rape muslim women alots! as the world have seen everywhere in middle east! From Pakistan to other corners of middle east sand dunes!
In essence, it is not fair to all muslim women! due to they have been treated exactly as animals in the day times and as the sex slaves in the night times!

Sad sad muslim culture! it is too much to all other civilizations!
Everytime I see muslim women wear ghost-like black rags and headscarves on their bodies I feel they must feel very HOT!!!! and very very much liking to undress all those heat-trapping rags!

February 9, 2008 9:17 PM | Report Offensive Comments