Worshiping the Feminine? by Kathleen Rolenz November 27, 2011

Last week there were protests around Istanbul, but we didn't know what was being protested. Our guide, Isa, told us that the protests were about the slap-on-the-hand fines that were given to husbands who beat, or even killed their wives. He said that when the women in the poorer regions of the country were subjected to abuse or murder at the hands of their husbands, the crime was taken up not by civil law, but by tribal law. Tribal law usually sided with the men, giving them either a light sentence or somehow excusing the behavior with the belief that the wife deserved to be punished. Although Turkey is a modern country, governed by laws, some of the areas of Anatolia kept to their old ways; those customs are hard to break; and the current government in Ankara is unwilling to come down hard on domestic abusers.


The next day we had an all-too-brief visit at the Museum of Anatolian Civilizations in Ankara. The museum features one of the finest collection of ancient art and artifacts in the world. In several of the displays we saw small statues of the Goddess ; large hips and breasts; images carved into stone of women in ceremonial worship to the goddess; clay knick-knacks that may have been used for decoration or veneration. These are the archeological relics that have led several anthropologists and cultural historians to speculate that the earliest civilization in Anatolia, prior to recorded history, was matriarchal and goddess worshipping.

As I stood looking at these figures fashioned thousands of years ago, I couldn't help but wonder--what happened?? How did we go from worshiping a goddess to pardoning a murderer if the victim is your wife?? Feminist theology had long pointed out the connection between patriarchy and spousal violence. In so many places around the globe even today-- women's bodies, intellect, gifts and rights are abused, ignored or abandoned.



Something else I saw in the museum gave me hope. One particular display featured many small Goddess figurines, as well a clay figure of a man and a woman with two heads, one body, and their arms wrapped around one another. The description said that whether or not these figurines represent a matriarchal society was arguable, but what was clear was that women and men were treated equally in this early civilization.

Perhaps patriarchy did overthrow matriarchy somewhere in Turkey's pre-history, but respect for women is part of this country's cultural heritage. I hope that the legislators and officials who have the power to change and enforce the laws will recall their own rich history of justice for all it's citizens.

As I gazed at the Goddess figures, I saw two Muslim women in hijabs standing next to me and smiling at what they saw. We looked up at each other and our eyes met. We knew we were feeling the same thing.

Location:Ankara, Turkey