Turkey Rolls Back University Scarf Ban

October 7, 2010

Author: Marc Champion

Source: The Wall Street Journal

http://topics.wsj.com/article/SB20001424052748703298504575534102839883556.html

Turkey is quietly resolving an issue that has come to symbolize the country's bitter divisions and nearly toppled its government two years ago: Slowly, women are being allowed to wear Islamic headscarves on university campuses.

 

The head of Turkey's Higher Education Board confirmed this week that he ordered Istanbul University, one of the nation's biggest, to stop professors from kicking students out of classes for any reason. The directive followed a complaint from a student who was sent out of class last November for wearing a hat, worn by some students as a headscarf stand-in.