Moral Ambivalence, Religious Doubt and Non-Belief among Ex-Hijabi Women in Turkey

Abstract

This article investigates religious transformations in contemporary Turkey through the case of women’s unveiling. Drawing on 10 in-depth interviews with university-educated urban women who have recently stopped wearing the veil, the article examines their experiences and their motivations for unveiling. It asks to what extent and in what ways Muslim women’s decisions to unveil are a reaction against the ruling Justice and Development Party’s (AKP) shift towards electoral authoritarianism and Islamic conservatism. Some practicing Muslims, particularly youth, have withdrawn their support from the government because of its political authoritarianism and its abandonment of Islamic ideals relating to justice. Since the 2013 Gezi Park protests, the AKP has come under critical scrutiny, both economically (e.g., increasing youth unemployment rates, widening income inequality, the shrinking middle class, clientelism) and sociopolitically (e.g., gendered social welfare policies, pro-natalist campaigns, the discourse on creating a pious generation). However, although the current political atmosphere plays a significant role in women’s unveiling, the article also discusses women’s personal and theological motives. The article elaborates on how ex-hijabi women contest both Islamist politics and Islamic orthodoxy regarding female religiosity and how these women reinterpret dominant gender norms.

Let’s Talk about Gender

“…These studies all represent an emerging field, and gender is as of yet rather absent. A notable exception, however, is the attention that is paid to unveiling (Fadil 2011;Gould 2014;Izharuddin 2018;Kütük-Kuriș 2021) although it should be noted that these examples do not necessarily consider unveiling as a practice of moving out of Islam (Van Nieuwkerk 2021). and Gender 13 (2023) 227-253 age, which prescribed their role in the community for the rest of their lives, that often "produced doubt about their ability to remain in the Hasidic world" (2015, 31).…”

Under the Shadow of Culture and Politics: Understanding LGBTQ Social Media Activists’ Perceptions, Concerns, and Strategies

“…Turkish President Erdogan stated that the Istanbul Convention "damages traditional Turkish family values" (BBC News Türkçe, 2022). Some scholars believe the Justice and Development Party (AKP) government withdrew from the treaty to retain conservative and Islamist voters (Kütük-Kuriş, 2021).…”

Religiöser Wandel in muslimischen Gesellschaften

“…On processes of individualisation and identity formation, see alsoAlhourani (2018), as well asHall (1990) . 10 See alsoBarakah (2002),Kütük-Kuriş (2021),Mahmood (2015) andManṣūr (2004) .…”