Thursday, May 29, 2008

RELIGIOUS DIRECTORATE: FOR KORAN, COURTSHIP IS SIN

Also courtship, for the Koran, is a grave sin equivalent to adultery and prostitution. Such a statement, which would not amaze if made by an ulema (a doctor in Islamic law), will surely however trigger controversies in Turkey where it was made, through its website, by Turkey's Religious Affairs Directorate, or Diyanet, an authority which controls the national Sunni Islam but which should also guarantee the secularity of the country. Meanwhile, also another thing said adds to this statement, or that "the woman must not show her beautiful parts and must cover herself very well before leaving home," an expression which seems to be a straightforward call to women to cover their heads with the turban, the foulard wound around the head and covering all the hair. The Muslim headscarf which was precisely one of the reasons for the rupture between the pro-Islamic Justice and Development Party (AKP, ruling since 2002) and the secular parties in opposition. According to various observers, the problem is that the Diyanet, the existence of which is sanctioned by article 136 of the constitution, was desired by founder Mustafa Kemal Ataturk exactly as a guarantee for the country's fundamental and indefeasible principle of secularity. Now there are people asking themselves how come the imams of the Diyanet have decided to pronounce so openly in favour of the headscarf, just a few days before the Constitutional Court will rule on the appeal submitted by the Republican Peoplés Party (CHP, left-wing, secular and in opposition) against the abrogation of the ban on turbans in universities promulgated by AKP in February. For certain, today's statement of the Diyanet is bound to foment again the already fiery controversies between the pro-Islamic and lay, who are in a serious fear of ending up, in some tome, to live as in Teheran.


From ANSAmed

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