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Turkish Muslims outraged at government’s hijab ban

turkey hijab banThe Turkish government’s controversial ban on hijab has outraged Muslim people who constitute over 97 percent of the country’s population, Press TV reports.

The Islamic hijab has been banned by Turkish governments since the establishment of the Republic of Turkey in 1923.

The move has sparked anger among the Turkish citizens who believe the majority of the population is not allowed to exercise their religious freedoms.

“The government should not have the right to force anyone to take off their scarves. The holy Quran says we should cover our hair. The government should not be able to change that. Our government claims to be Islamic but there are many freedoms we as Muslims do not have,” a Muslim woman told Press TV.

“Hijab is a red line and no one should have the right to ban it. People should be taken for who they are not how they dress,” another Muslim woman said.

Turkish women in the public sector and workplaces such as hospitals, schools and public offices are not allowed to wear headscarf.

University students were also banned from wearing hijab, but the government was forced to be more lenient with Universities, as many Turkish students fled the country seeking a state where they could exercise their right of religious freedom.

“They used to make me take off my headscarf at university. It was a terrible experience. No one should be able to interfere in my religion. I do not feel Muslims have religious freedom in Turkey,” A Muslim student told Press TV.

Turkey’s government has also issued an order banning headscarves for schoolgirls. Parents are allowed to pick their children up while wearing hijab but children may not wear it unless they are in private religious schools.

“Our children are not allowed to wear headscarves at schools. Muslim women should have the right to dress the way they wish,” a Turkish citizen said.

This is while, only about 200,000 girls study at religious schools in Turkey, meaning that the new law forces some seven million girls across the country not to wear hijab at school.

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