WOMEN’S VEILS

Dominion, Volume 21, Issue 88, 12 January 1928, Page 7

WOMEN’S VEILS

“BADGE OF INFERIORITY,” SAYS SOVIET Something like a merry war is being waged in Turkestan over women’s veils. Turkestan, politically a member of the Union of Soviet liepublics, is overwhelmingly Mohammedan. Because of their faith, the women still wear the characteristic veil which used to be universal in Mohammedan countries, though it has now been abolished in Turkey and denounced by the Soviet as a badge of Women's inferiority. After an attempt to abolish it the chief of the Moslem clergy of Tchusta, one Abbas Maksumolf, called together a conference of mullahs and influential peasants and induced it to appeal to the people against the Soviet propaganda, declaring to them that “a woman who discards the veil is not a legitimate wife, and a man who permits his wife to perform so dishonourable an act is himself an » fidel.” Then a Soviet Commissar called a meeting to agitate against the wearing of veils. Thereupon Abbas Maksumolr rallied his followers to the defence of ’•ah and, nivadin*'- ‘’ y ’ \ the Commissar, tried to destroy it, killing a soldier stationed there as a guard;