THE TURKISH WOMEN.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 504, 11 May 1909, Page 3

THE TURKISH WOMEN.

X'Was at, one timo. very friendly in .Paris with : Ahmed Itiza Pasha, Presidont of the ,; first Turkish . Parliament.'.: Ho was - most interested, in tho feminist movement, and dur- '■'••:■ ing. several •yoirs was•: a member'./' of '• the :"Liguo-, dir./ droit: .desvfemmes,'.' of -which ! . /'/■ ; was - the president /. (says - a writor. in / the ''Sydney Morning Herald").- He - attended 'vV very, regularly our,' monthly meetings,. and ■ took-part in .the discussions. / His sister fled from Turkey through many dangers, and at//;last." joined him ■ in' Paria in'lSOO, tho year ofthp great'exhibition. / .'I remember one of her first, walks, in tho ' street. I fcamb 'back with hor . from tho ■ "Congrcs do la Condition et • des droits femmes," where'she had/delivered 'a short . address :in,perfect.J!]rerich I ; ;for'sh6 spoke our .. lariguageVfluently;: as : do all women: of good .society in Turkey. She walked in short paces, and as slowly as a baby two years .//•/ old. I asked, her if she was' ill or rndis- ! posdd, sho said, "No,_ but I havo never walked, and cannot go any .quicker."', . Sho :': ,y learned / by' degrees,i• and when she. came to .visit mo in tho country, sho. could take ;, a long walk with us all. Later on sho , was . able to rush aftor the omnibus and trams just like a: Parisian, for though sho .and hpr brother belonged to a rich- family, they. s ' received very litt!o money from'' home, ■ and then only with .'-the greatest difficulties and , : v.'dahgersv.on Vtho .'part...of .thief.'-relatives, jso ' that, accustomed ;thbugh/they 'were to .great: •Oriental luxury, they had to livo in very modest rooms in the "Quartier Latin!". •Wo may imagine- what it must bo for ; these: women to: be back in Constantinople, whore thoy are - not allowed to appear in ■ . tho streets, .where they can never gat 'exercise. ,'l'hoy aro shut up m their homes liko . prisoners, and .like prisoners' they think of . nothing: but liberty, and it; leads them to , .do.very, strange things sometimes. •/'-' ' ' , . 1 knew one lady of very, high birth, a . ..Princess,, who'vfled' away' /with .the passport /;//' of. one of:-my: friendsj a governess .there] She ■ married afterwards a Belgian "diplomatist, : '. . whom, she had known' in Cohotantinople, for, '■•:/in spito of all their' guardians, Turkish . ladies havo their love, adventures.: Hor de- -. i j '' parturb .was a great' event in heir life; : she • was mad with joy to think slie' would bo able to -livo in a house. whero sho could .' :' open, largo windows, whero sho could sit on a balcony and look into .the street, when ' sho had: never.:seen /anything'- but' through : . tho ; 'latticework - of ' . tho' har.em. / Going to . the' steamer,':/ .she was . constantly,! . looking ' • through tho window, of -the carriage, though my friend tried to ; frighten/her in showing -: tho danger.of, being/ recognised.// Sho. said, -'fhero/is -nb-danger/'they have never seen > my face, and nobody would over imagine a ■ Turkish/,:Princess:' driving .-in; this equipage ' to a steamer." ••• i. •'■ ' ' ••/ -~ ' .It is forbidden to any, woman to leave Turkish .territory, and yet some .very highlyborn ladies, particularly Egyptian ladi&s, under/pretext of ihoir health, aro authorised to •go-and tako medical watbrsin -Europe.: I remember a/Princess who had tho Sultan's, pormission /to. Be :at a special-watering place; : bijt who spent all. her • holiday /in Paris, / which she found moro amnsing. The; Turkish. / police watched her incessantly, but did not interfere,: l*'or-afow'who can got away, there are thousands and millions of women .who arb'real slaves in their homes. If thero could bo a leaguo of free women to help .their Turkish' sisters to free themselves'from' /■■ .'■ /all these.! old prejudices,■; it' would bo . a • great: act of, charity, und; through; tho wo-/ men, the > men/ would ./get.' enlightened, and ' might bring their, .country to.-understand modern ideas of justicp for all. 'i- / ■■■:■ -■ . - /