Turkish Culture Quotes
Few non-Arab Muslims would publicly admit this historical truth, and at the time this view was shocking to the most religious men in Turkey. However it resonated with many of the average citizens. The entire Arab world had been subject to and controlled by Turkey, and amongst the Turks, the backward Arabs, were not very popular and were historically seen as underdeveloped colonial subjects.
Turkey with the decline of the Ottoman Empire, had little experience in modern international politics—and no modern leaders until Ataturk came and modernized the nation. The Turks had allied themselves with Germany in WWI and in the aftermath came out as badly in the peace as they had in the war.
At the time, headwear identified the wearer’s caste and class. Fezes, Turbans, etc. were eliminated in favor of hats. This was Ataurk’s solution to two problems: He wanted to have Turkey modernize and develop along the lines of Western democracy and the traditional Islamic headgear being replaced by Western hats were daily symbols of the national modernization. The second advantage was that Turks could no longer identify caste and class by the traditional headgear and the society became much more egalitarian which it has been ever since.
He was describing the wife of the Turkish leader, Kemal Ataturk. Turkey at the time was a traditional Muslim culture where women wore burkas and very traditional Islamic female dress. Ataturk was a great reformer who placed great emphasis on reforming traditional customs of dress when supported and/or mandated by clerics. He used himself and his family as exemplars. At this particular occasion she appeared in a state ceremony wearing riding jodhpurs—pants—with leather boots and a silk blouse with no head covering. It was shocking to see an important woman in a silk blouse but absolutely astounding to see her in what was then perceived as men’s attire. Ataturk went on to completely change the nature of dress in Turkey—especially lifting the restrictions on women. See {593676}, {584524} and {610605}.
In one of the historical ironies of the 12th century, a Christian sect preferred the rule of the Muslims than their Christian brethren—on the grounds of religious tolerance. It illustrates the changes that take place over time. By the 21st century, it was the Christians who were thought of as tolerant and the Muslims as the opposite.
