If you had any misgivings about Islamic harems under the Ottoman Empire (1302-1922) you can now lay them aside. The first lady of Turkey says so.
Emine Erdogan, wife of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan described the harems of the Ottoman Empire (ironically the day after International Women’s Day) as an “educational establishment that prepared women for life.” I have no doubt they were “educational” and prepared women very thoroughly for a life of slavery and subservience.
I am sure harems would have been very “educational” for the women who lived in them – especially those who had been captured as slaves from Europe and elsewhere.
You see, according to Emine Erdogan, we should actually regard harems as a very early form of university, and pay homage to Islamic despots for being so enlightened and advanced in the area of women’s rights and education.
The first lady stated that harem women could be “an inspiration.” Furthermore, concubines were well fed and not all were used for sex. Well then, that makes everything okay!
Wait – except that part about harem women not being able to
leave. Yeah, that’s still a bit of a sticking point. No doubt the first lady will soon enough devise a rationale and explanation for that one.
“Receiving education in harem doesn’t make it a school. This is nonsense,” tweeted @GaziCaglar. Indeed. Likewise providing meals in prison doesn’t make it a restaurant.
Source: BBC News: Turkey’s first lady praises Ottoman harem