Headscarf-wearing woman’s exercise video draws conservative circle’s reaction

ISTANBUL

A headscarf-wearing woman, a physiotherapy student in the northwestern province of Sakarya, has drawn the reaction of conservative circles after she posted a video of her exercise routines to stay healthy amid the coronavirus pandemic that has barred people from leaving their houses.

Duygu Akın is one of the many people providing free exercise routines at home for people to stay in shape and healthy as they are confined to their houses due to the lockdown, demonstrating to her audience the exercise movements that she recommends with the hashtag #EvdeHareketsizKalma (Don’t Stay Home Inactive).

Her videos have revived a decades-long debate in Turkey over the headscarf, which conservative and secular circles had discussed for many years until recently.

The young woman became the focus of the harsh reactions immediately after sharing the video on her social media account.

Some social media users have made comments claiming that the exercise video of a woman wearing the headscarf was damaging the “headscarf liberation struggle” and that these exercises were in contradiction to the “values” of Islam.

“I am studying physiotherapy. Exercise videos were my homework and I had to share them on Twitter,” Akın said.

“I’m not ashamed of the exercise video I shot. Its aim was to demonstrate simple exercises that the public could do. I would like to thank everyone who supported me, did not leave me alone against these nasty comments, and understood my purpose without deceptions,” she added.