Psychological Effects of Islamophobia on Hijab Ban Victims in Turkey in The Context of February, 28 Hijab Ban Process and Religious Coping

This paper details the state of intolerance against Muslim women wearing hijab in Turkey. The paper especially focuses on ‘the process of February, 28' and establishes its significant effects on women with hijab and its development till today. Wearing hijab especially in public space has been the biggest problem in Turkey for the religious people practicing Islam in society. By the change of Turkish political developments and by historical decision on Feb, 9th 2008 and Oct, 1st 2013 which provided hijab liberty, the situation has changed. But in 2019, still in the Islamophobic print media of Turkey signs of covered Islamophobia can be easily seen, especially in the period of elections in March and June which is used as a time for polarization in society, it can be said that Islamophobia is manifested clearly. In this qualitative study 10 Turkish women who experienced ‘the period of 28th February' and after it were interviewed and the women were reached by snow-ball method. With this study it can be said obviously the period of 28th Feb was a trauma on women with hijab. This trauma brought depression, lack of self-confidence, lack of trust towards people, anxiety, OCD. Some of these women had therapies and medicine. Some overcame with the issue with religious practices like prayers, contemplation and dhikr. These women who had to study university abroad started to seek justice with the motivation of seeking for human rights and in this sense orientation to west started. While it was being expected to see that Islamophobia and hijab ban would isolate the women with hijab from society and that it would work up their isolation more, as opposed to expectations it caused the integration of these banned women with modernization. Islamophobia which effected Turkey deeply provided qualified people to academia, bureaucracy in Turkey in long term.