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Academic Journal Turkey
Turkey was a place that, admittedly, I was not ready for. I stepped out of the port authority building, greeted by a security guard casually resting his arm on a semi-automatic gun as if it were as normal as the vendors on the street. I couldn't help but to think "Toto, we're not in Kansas anymore." Istanbul was filled with fish having their guts removed, men coughing and then touching the corn they sold, and street vendors throwing trash under their tables. I did not judge the peoples way of life, but I couldn't help but pose the obvious question of "Why?" Why do people have to live in such filthy living conditions? Why do they have to feed an entire household by fighting with buyers over the price of a magnet? Why must a woman live in the shadows of a man simply because she is a woman? Of course I first wanted to blame the government and then had to realize that a generalization of one entity's fault in this matter was unfeasible. I began to strike up conversation with my friends about what resources Turkey has, what its economic standing is, its cultural limitations, and so on. Yet, I still kept thinking, simple things like hygiene, sustainability, and equality are not aspects of a person's life that a mere government can simply bestow upon its people— they are fundamental rights that every man and woman should have.
While at the Egyptian Spice Bazaar a man was trying to catch my attention and bring me into his store, and he held out his hand for me to shake it. I, not being interested, paid little attention to him and passed by. It had clearly been a long day for him and I feel like my lack of attention was the last straw on the camels back. He then began to follow me past several shops in the bazaar shouting "It is just my hand! I am not dirty! I am a human too! I am human!" I was petrified and began running into the nearest crowd in order to avoid him. Once he had left me alone, I felt awful. Clearly this man had felt that his job did not allow for people to treat him as an equal, nor a human. Quite frankly, I agree. Can you imagine working the same job everyday for probably and entire lifetime, saying the same attention getters, having tourists not even acknowledge your existence, and trying to feel like you have any clout at all as a valued member of society? In a deeper sense, I feel that haggling is incredibly degrading. I personally feel when bartering I am fundamentally saying "how much can I lower your means of living?" I understand that this is a trade that has been going on for the last millennia, but I still find it very difficult to do considering the vast gap between our socioeconomic standing.
From an American woman's eyes, I felt like I was in a fish bowl. No matter where I was, and no matter how modest I dressed, I was a spectacle for all men. Once at dinner, I was with four female friends and one male. Our waiter actually came up to Derek, the man, and gave him a pat on the shoulder, insinuating a "well done" expression for being surrounded by women and sitting at the head of the table. I felt like nothing more than a collectable commodity through the waiter's eyes. That instance occurred on the very first day, yet it was not until the second day that I had encountered obvious and blatant discrimination of women in the Blue Mosque. As I walked in, I was so overwhelmed by the mosaics it took me a few minutes to notice the segregation of men, tourists, and women. The women were not only banned to pray beside a man, but she was even demoted down to being behind the mob of tourists flashing their cameras, tour guides yelling, and children crying. What struck me more than anything was that a non-believing woman like myself was given more privilege in the mosque than a woman who is an active believer and follower of the religion. I found this incredibly difficult to grapple with. My third experience pertaining to gender roles occurred when I was in a bank. The teller behind the counter was a woman, who like nearly all the other woman in Turkey, had her hair covered. I found this particular material she used to be very beautiful, as it had embroidery and a stunning turquoise color pattern. "I love your head scarf. It's very beautiful!" I said to her as I made a transaction. She looked at me with kind eyes and replied "Thanks. You can have it" followed by a small grin and a small chuckle. That was all that needed to be said in order to convey her feelings. Her words sunk in deeply. I pitied the woman. Even the woman who has a decent job, wears nice clothing, and seems to be well off, considering the circumstances, lives in a world where she is still oppressed by tradition.
The women in this culture were still respected to some extent; that is to say that they were not treated as slaves or animals. But there is no doubt that a woman's place in this society is one of inferiority. The men do not like educated women. They do not allow them equal praying rights. They see a woman without a headscarf as sinful. More than anything a woman is there to accommodate and serve the man, to bear children, take care of the home etc. There are few, if any women in the political system, and the female citizens would never dream of becoming politically active in protests and other political affairs. Although I do believe that in time this will change, it is still something I am very unsettled with. I look at America, and although the "glass ceiling" still exists, I truly do feel like I am capable of obtaining any education and job I desire. I know that I can pray wherever I want, whenever I want. I can dress however I please. I will not be as bold as to say that men and woman are equal in America, but I will say that we are miles ahead of Istanbul in this respect.
By the end of our visit to Turkey, I had experienced a culture that was so vastly different than my own. Parts of it, I absolutely loved, and was enthralled by. Other parts frustrated me to the point where my stomach hurt. I saw men and woman struggling to simply be equal, both in each others eyes, and in mine. The more I thought, the more I began to realize, although its influence can be great, a government can only do so much. The change has to be rooted deep in the people, and be cultivated from the ground up. The reality is that human rights do have to be earned. The culture must decide, the government must decide, and the world must decide to push for them to be achieved. Otherwise we will just continue the same vicious circle we have been in since the beginning of time.
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