Journey to Diyarbakir
My bag was strapped to the roof of the minibus that took me to Siverik. I decided to trust it had been tied on correctly and that I'd closed all the zips. It made me feel adventurous looking out at the shadow of my bag on the road as it bumped along beside us.
On the journey I talked to a female Turkish English teacher whose name I've forgotten. She was from a small town nr Istanbul, spending a few months, as all teachers from the West must, in the Eastern regions - in her case Siverik. She was friendly and I couldn't resist politely asking about her headscarf. It only covered her head, like most headscarfs in Turkey, so she didn't have a veil covering her mouth, face or eyes. I already knew headscarfs are not permitted in schools and Government buidings because of the enduring Ataturk ruling. She wasn't happy about this but could do nothing about it. She likes to wear her scarf and at school feels different and uncomfortable without it. At home, however, she takes it off. Herein lies the explanation for her wearing it, or so it seems. The veil forms a kind of portable wall between the public and private domains of her existence. At home with her husband and kids, and presumably close family, it is not worn - and joyfully so - but in publıc it is, and happily so. I suppose then, by not being allowed to wear it while she teaches, indeed anywhere on the school premises, she must feel as though her private existence had been impinged upon by the world, as if she'd been caught somehow naked. I am speculating you understand.
As for why "the veil" (the hijab, be that mere headscarf or headscarf plus facial cloak) exists at all, though, why there is a need for it. Hmmmmm. I can only imagine it's because the societies that embrace it deem men far too lustful and lascivious, too uncontrollable to be trusted not to pounce and devour any non-familial woman not already in their possession if her wonderful and sumptious hair, and possibly her face and eyes as well, are not obscured from the rapacious male gaze.
I am trying to work out, however, if the veil culture in the Islamic world -varied as that culture is- might actually be more derogatory towards men than towards women. Maybe it is. Ok, the women are the ones who have to wear hijab - or else face the possibility of anything from social rejection to an honour killing. But it's the men who are considered so lacking in poise and sophistication, so incapable of self-control, so internally unmotivated to treat a woman kindly and with respect, that they cannot be permitted to see half of the human race except under the cover of a sometimes all enveloping fabric.
Am I against the hijab, as it were? Well, I'm not going to wear one in a hurry iof that's what you mean? I'm pretty sure I'd say this if I were a woman, too. I can only imagine that even in a relatively cool climate such as Europe's it must get pretty sweaty and uncomfortable within. I'd rather not imagine what it's like in places where you can die of heatstroke just by dressing lightly. I asked my Turkish friend this. Isn't it sweaty? She said no. Really I thought? Maybe she's got used to it. Then she pointed at my cap and said 'It's just like that, it protects you from the sun'. Fair cop I thought. But on later reflection I knew there must be a difference. I wear my cap only to keep the sun's rays from my eyes (courtesy of the marvellous extended flappy thing) and besides I can take it off whenever I want. I can't believe hijab helps much against the sun's heat. And we know that isn't why it exists or its wearing is enforced anyway.
It was interesting how when I asked her why she wears it she replied 'because I believe in God.' I found the logic hard to follow but I didn't let on. I was looking for a rational explanation, something that would make sense more than the mere assertion of an unexplained command.
Actually I might sound mocking but honestly it doesn't bother me at all. It makes no difference to me. The scarfs and veils have even become interesting to look at all. They make a change. A break from Slavic hairstyles for sure (much as I love them:)). As long as women want to wear hijab, why shouldn't they? Ahhhh, and there's the rub, Sherlock. Do they? And if they say 'yes' how do we know that isn't becasue they've been brainwashed by a patriarchal, oppressive society which from birth was impossible to resist.
But you can't second guess people's psychic integrity in this matter. Otherwise you might just open the way for the imposıtion of your own alternative oppression (such as our modern liberal fascism and extreme feminism do in their smugly triumphant and comforting wars against everything traditional).
Surely one just has to hope that if they say they like to wear the veil they mean it. And if they really do, well, what can you legitimately do but be baffled?
On our way east to Siverik we had to stop and cross the Ataturk Dam by ferryboat. The building of the Atarturk Dam was the attempt, largely succesful in its aims, to flood large tracts of Turkish lands to provide water for irrigation and to increase Turkey's Hydro-electricity output by syphoning off water from the Tigris and Euphrates. While we waited for the boat my Headscarved friend explained how the Turkish Government had been quite generous in compensating those kicked off their land. Actually some people have now become much richer than they were before, from the cotton and other crops they can now farm and sell. The dam building scheme (the Southern Anatolian Project) is still ongoing and looks set to flood under 90m of water the ancient, wondrous Kurdish town of Hasankeyf further to the east despite protests from the local population.
As we waited for the ferry to leave I judged I'd time for a piss. Asking where the WC was I deliberately strode towards it, knowing I didn't have long. The stone under my left foot gave way and suddenly, as if by magic, I was on my butt clutching my left shoulder. My left hand had received the full brunt of the fall's force. After crying 'Fuck' very loudly' I worried my shoulder might be disconnected. About five men quickly surrounded me and were very helpful. I pointed over at the boat, concerned it would leave and felt a strong wave of nausea. One of my helpers sensed my primary worry and indicated I should raise my arm. Since I didn't writhe and shriek in panicing agony I was clearly going to be ok. They let me go. After my piss I staggered to the boat, feeling confused, unsure why the fall should have made me nauseous.
On the journey I talked to a female Turkish English teacher whose name I've forgotten. She was from a small town nr Istanbul, spending a few months, as all teachers from the West must, in the Eastern regions - in her case Siverik. She was friendly and I couldn't resist politely asking about her headscarf. It only covered her head, like most headscarfs in Turkey, so she didn't have a veil covering her mouth, face or eyes. I already knew headscarfs are not permitted in schools and Government buidings because of the enduring Ataturk ruling. She wasn't happy about this but could do nothing about it. She likes to wear her scarf and at school feels different and uncomfortable without it. At home, however, she takes it off. Herein lies the explanation for her wearing it, or so it seems. The veil forms a kind of portable wall between the public and private domains of her existence. At home with her husband and kids, and presumably close family, it is not worn - and joyfully so - but in publıc it is, and happily so. I suppose then, by not being allowed to wear it while she teaches, indeed anywhere on the school premises, she must feel as though her private existence had been impinged upon by the world, as if she'd been caught somehow naked. I am speculating you understand.
As for why "the veil" (the hijab, be that mere headscarf or headscarf plus facial cloak) exists at all, though, why there is a need for it. Hmmmmm. I can only imagine it's because the societies that embrace it deem men far too lustful and lascivious, too uncontrollable to be trusted not to pounce and devour any non-familial woman not already in their possession if her wonderful and sumptious hair, and possibly her face and eyes as well, are not obscured from the rapacious male gaze.
I am trying to work out, however, if the veil culture in the Islamic world -varied as that culture is- might actually be more derogatory towards men than towards women. Maybe it is. Ok, the women are the ones who have to wear hijab - or else face the possibility of anything from social rejection to an honour killing. But it's the men who are considered so lacking in poise and sophistication, so incapable of self-control, so internally unmotivated to treat a woman kindly and with respect, that they cannot be permitted to see half of the human race except under the cover of a sometimes all enveloping fabric.
Am I against the hijab, as it were? Well, I'm not going to wear one in a hurry iof that's what you mean? I'm pretty sure I'd say this if I were a woman, too. I can only imagine that even in a relatively cool climate such as Europe's it must get pretty sweaty and uncomfortable within. I'd rather not imagine what it's like in places where you can die of heatstroke just by dressing lightly. I asked my Turkish friend this. Isn't it sweaty? She said no. Really I thought? Maybe she's got used to it. Then she pointed at my cap and said 'It's just like that, it protects you from the sun'. Fair cop I thought. But on later reflection I knew there must be a difference. I wear my cap only to keep the sun's rays from my eyes (courtesy of the marvellous extended flappy thing) and besides I can take it off whenever I want. I can't believe hijab helps much against the sun's heat. And we know that isn't why it exists or its wearing is enforced anyway.
It was interesting how when I asked her why she wears it she replied 'because I believe in God.' I found the logic hard to follow but I didn't let on. I was looking for a rational explanation, something that would make sense more than the mere assertion of an unexplained command.
Actually I might sound mocking but honestly it doesn't bother me at all. It makes no difference to me. The scarfs and veils have even become interesting to look at all. They make a change. A break from Slavic hairstyles for sure (much as I love them:)). As long as women want to wear hijab, why shouldn't they? Ahhhh, and there's the rub, Sherlock. Do they? And if they say 'yes' how do we know that isn't becasue they've been brainwashed by a patriarchal, oppressive society which from birth was impossible to resist.
But you can't second guess people's psychic integrity in this matter. Otherwise you might just open the way for the imposıtion of your own alternative oppression (such as our modern liberal fascism and extreme feminism do in their smugly triumphant and comforting wars against everything traditional).
Surely one just has to hope that if they say they like to wear the veil they mean it. And if they really do, well, what can you legitimately do but be baffled?
On our way east to Siverik we had to stop and cross the Ataturk Dam by ferryboat. The building of the Atarturk Dam was the attempt, largely succesful in its aims, to flood large tracts of Turkish lands to provide water for irrigation and to increase Turkey's Hydro-electricity output by syphoning off water from the Tigris and Euphrates. While we waited for the boat my Headscarved friend explained how the Turkish Government had been quite generous in compensating those kicked off their land. Actually some people have now become much richer than they were before, from the cotton and other crops they can now farm and sell. The dam building scheme (the Southern Anatolian Project) is still ongoing and looks set to flood under 90m of water the ancient, wondrous Kurdish town of Hasankeyf further to the east despite protests from the local population.
As we waited for the ferry to leave I judged I'd time for a piss. Asking where the WC was I deliberately strode towards it, knowing I didn't have long. The stone under my left foot gave way and suddenly, as if by magic, I was on my butt clutching my left shoulder. My left hand had received the full brunt of the fall's force. After crying 'Fuck' very loudly' I worried my shoulder might be disconnected. About five men quickly surrounded me and were very helpful. I pointed over at the boat, concerned it would leave and felt a strong wave of nausea. One of my helpers sensed my primary worry and indicated I should raise my arm. Since I didn't writhe and shriek in panicing agony I was clearly going to be ok. They let me go. After my piss I staggered to the boat, feeling confused, unsure why the fall should have made me nauseous.
In Siverik I changed buses. After a maniacal taxi ride from the station in Diyarbakir, I was glad to check into the first hotel I found. Quickly reviving, I set out for yet another kebab and too much bread.
3 comments:
I like bread a lot, too. Bread, meat and vegetables would be my perfect diet.
I think that the nausea was caused by fear (that the boat would leave without you, that you had broken a bone). If you feel good after dinner, tehre is nothing to worry about.
yeah it was probably fear but it felt pretty strange at the time. My shoulder still hurts a bit now (all that was 5 days ago). Id like to catch up but Im a slow writer.
It's dawned on me that I've visiting and enjoying your blog for months without knowing it was yours. Now,there's a compliment!
Amanda
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