http://www.nytimes.com/2006/11/02/world/europe/02turkey.html?_r=1&oref=slogin
Turkish Scholar Who Mocked Head Scarves Is Acquitted Mustafa Ozer/Agence France-Presse - Getty Images A court in Istanbul took only half an hour to rule that Muazzez Ilmiye Cig, a 92-year-old academic, was not guilty of inciting religious hatred. By SEBNEM ARSU Published: November 2, 2006 ISTANBUL, Nov. 1 - In the latest case challenging freedom of expression in Turkey, an Istanbul court on Wednesday acquitted a 92-year-old academic of inciting religious hatred by putting the head scarf in ancient history in a sexual context and by criticizing abusive religious marriages. In one of her published letters, Muazzez Ilmiye Cig, an expert on Sumerian civilization, asserted that 5,000 years ago, the head scarf was a symbol to distinguish the temple priestess who had ritual sex with young men to celebrate fertility. As such, her satirical letter argued, the wearing of a head scarf should not indicate a woman's morality or religious devotion in today's world. This comparison and other satires appeared in her book "My Reactions as a Citizen" and prompted Yusuf Akin, an Islamic-oriented lawyer based in Izmir, to file a complaint against Ms. Cig and her publisher, Ismet Ogutcu. More than 50 people chanted slogans supporting Ms. Cig and applauded as she left the courthouse after a hearing of only half an hour. She and Mr. Ogutcu each faced up to a year and a half in jail if convicted. So far, most of the cases challenging freedom of expression in Turkey have concerned references to the mass killings of Armenians in the 1910s, partly because it is illegal to insult the Turkish state or identity. Intellectuals like the Nobel laureate Orhan Pamuk and the novelist Elif Shafak have been tried in that regard. Ms. Cig's case, however, falls under a separate law. Charges of insulting the Turkish identity brought against Mr. Pamuk were dropped, and Ms. Shafak was acquitted. But the laws under which the cases have been brought cause contention within the European Union, which Turkey wants to join. The recent cases are likely to generate scorn when the union reports next on Turkey, next Wednesday. Ms. Cig, a devotee of Ataturk, the founder of the Turkish Republic, and his secular principles, said her case was not a blot on Turkey's progress in human rights or freedom of expression. Instead, she said: "My trial acted as a tool to display the strength of the secular tradition in Turkey against the fundamentalists. This will encourage people like me to think more, act more courageously and voice their opposition more openly." In Turkey, a predominantly Muslim country, head scarves are common in public life but banned from government offices, including universities, to protect the secular character of the state. Head scarves were an electoral issue in 2002 when the current government came to power with promises to remove the ban. The secular establishment, however, backed by strong institutions like the military, upholds the ban. Ms. Cig has also criticized Emine Erdogan, the wife of Turkey's prime minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, for wearing a head scarf that excludes her from state functions, and asked her to give up her covered looks to prevent a misrepresentation of modern Turkish women. More Articles in International ยป [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] ======================= Milis Wanita Muslimah Membangun citra wanita muslimah dalam diri, keluarga, maupun masyarakat. Situs Web: http://www.wanita-muslimah.com ARSIP DISKUSI : http://groups.yahoo.com/group/wanita-muslimah/messages Kirim Posting mailto:wanita-muslimah@yahoogroups.com Berhenti mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Milis Keluarga Sejahtera mailto:keluarga-sejahtera@yahoogroups.com Milis Anak Muda Islam mailto:majelismuda@yahoogroups.com This mailing list has a special spell casted to reject any attachment .... Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/wanita-muslimah/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/wanita-muslimah/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
