Şule Yüksel Şenler (29 May 1938 – 28 August 2019) was a Turkish writer, journalist.[1] She made anti-feminist propaganda and had proposed an Islamist view and lifestyle. She was the designer of so-called "Türban", instead of the traditional "Başörtüsü" that was common in Anatolia for centuries, which she had learned from an Armenian tailor.[2]
Şule Yüksel Şenler | |
|---|---|
| Born | Yüksel Şenler 29 May 1938 Kayseri, Turkey |
| Died | 28 August 2019 (aged 81) Bağcılar, Istanbul, Turkey |
| Resting place | Mihrişah Sultan Complex, Istanbul |
| Nationality | Turkish Cypriot |
| Occupation(s) | Writer, journalist, activist |
| Years active | 1952–2018 |
| Notable work | Huzur Sokağı |
| Political party | Justice Party (1962–1968) |
| Spouse | Abdullah Kars (m. 1970; div. 1975) |
Biography
Yüksel Şenler was born in Kayseri on 29 May 1938 into a family of Turkish Cypriot origin.[3] She later adopted "Şule" as a first name. When she was young, she emigrated to Istanbul with her family. She left school when in 8th Grade,[4] and started working for an Armenian tailor. This led her to create her own model of a modern headscarf in the future.
She started to work as a journalist at the age of 21. In 1965, she began wearing the hijab. Lawsuits were brought against her due to her articles in Yeni İstiklal newspaper, in which she encouraged women to wear the hijab.She grew up during a time when Turkey pushed secularism, where women had to choose between hijab, or official schooling and professional careers.[4] She traveled around Anatolia and started discussions at conferences, and many of her followers started wearing the headscarf.[4] After some girls started to imitate her head covering style, this type of covering became known as sulebaşı. One conference caught the attention of then-president Cevdet Sunay, who said "Those behind [the increasing number of] covered women on the streets, will be punished". Senler responded in a letter to Cevdet Sunay and was arrested, serving eight months in prison.[4] Şenler wrote for Hür Söz, Yeni İstiklal, and Babıalide Sabah women's pages. After 1980, she wrote for Zaman and Milli Gazete. Şenler's novel Huzur Sokağı ("Peace Street") became a popular TV drama. Despite her advanced age and illness, Şenler continued to occasionally publish articles in newspapers and magazines. She died on 28 August 2019 from a heart attack in Istanbul.[5]
Selected works
- Gençliğin Izdırabı
- Hidayet
- Bize Ne Oldu
- İslam'da ve Günümüzde Kadın
- Duyuşlar
- Her Şey İslam için
- Uygarlığın Gözyaşları
- Huzur Sokağı
- Kız ve Çiçek
- Sağ El
- Bir Bilinçli Öğretmen
- Yılanla Tilki