Turkish Women

Re “No Longer a Step Behind in Turkey,” by William Montalbano, Nov. 13: I would like to congratulate you on this excellent article on the progress of the women in Turkish society. I am a Turkish-American woman working in a managerial capacity for a major U.S. corporation. I was born and grew up in Turkey. I never felt that I had to walk a step behind. Neither did the rest of the women in my graduating class at Bosporus University, who made up more than 50% of the class of 1974. I am not surprised that Turkey now has a woman prime minister. The U.S. has not yet elected a woman vice president. Shall we say Turkey is ahead in this respect?

SEMA BASOL

Redondo Beach

* I am tired of reading articles that claim that the liberation of women is in conflict with traditional Islam (Nov. 13).

The patriarchal society predated Islam and superimposed itself in these countries so men could maintain dominance. Simply reading the Koran and understanding the traditions of Prophet Mohammed would enlighten anyone regarding the role of Muslim women. We have rights to property, education, marriage, divorce and so on. Now we must fight for these rights, which have been denied throughout the Muslim world as part of the process of denying human rights altogether.

I see myself as a feminist and observant Muslim and I do not feel any conflict. It saddens me to read that my Muslim sisters throughout the Middle East feel they must abandon their faith or consider it only a cultural appendage to gain freedom--when it is only through Islam that any of us can truly be free.

LAILA AL-MARAYATI

Muslim Women’s League, Los Angeles