Personal Piety, Public Power
Turkish secularists, and others of similar mind in Europe, have gone way overboard on this issue of the headscarves, using a symbol and instrument of personal piety as a surrogate for threats to their country's national identity and governance system. Women and girls wearing headscarves certainly are a symbol of Islamic identity spreading in society, and they do reflect growing numbers of individuals who manifest their religiosity in their dress and behavior. This should not be a problem, any more than holding national prayer breakfasts in Washington, D.C.

