A Muslim student was expelled from a French class by authorities in Montréal. The decision was made by Yolande James, Québec's Minister of Immigration.
Facial expression, elocution and interaction between students are all part of the course's curricula, but the presence of three men in the group motivated the student to keep her face covered and impeded the course's objectives. Several attempts had been made to accommodate the student, such as private conversations and oral presentations with her back facing the classroom. The decision to expel the student was based on Québec's societal values, namely the equality between man and woman.
Click here [Google translation] for the full story.
Furthermore, several non-profit organizations support the decision [Google translation]. The Muslim Canadian Congress went as far as stating that: "As a Muslim, I find wearing the niqab totally ludicrous. It's a slap in the face to those of us who consider themselves moderate Muslims."
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
8 comments:
Does that mean women will no longer be allowed to wear bathing suit tops at the beach because they are not dressed equally to men. Will construction workers have to cover up their chests.
A lady at a nudist beach would normally be asked to remove her top and the rest, so would a man. Anybody undergoing a specific medical exam that calls for it would be asked to bare her/his chest. A construction worker required to wear protective gear would also be asked to cover her/his chest.
I gather it depends on the circumstances.
Sooo ridiculous... as if veiled women suddenly become speechless... as others think they are deaf... just false, fake speech, that certainly hide profound fears.
Maryam,
Other Muslim students have been asked to remove their niqab and complied with the request in order to ensure they meet the course's requirements.
Religion is important and it shouldn't be the basis for any kind of discrimination. But, with all due respect, it shouldn't be used as a free pass for all kinds of behavior.
James,
You're probably rght about Charest wanting to prevent the PQ from owning the issue, but check out their reply... Le PQ veut interdire le niqab à l'école. Politics are all about seizing the moment...
I agree that this is so ridiculous "as if veiled woman suddenly become speechless". The only one making sense in an articulate way is Naïma, based on her version of events as reported in the latest interveiws - everyone else is just reciting the same old rhetoric, invoking "Quebec Values" in a smug, pompous and disingenuous attempt at hiding their fear. I think that the government should leave this woman alone. She asked for no accommodations - she just wants to wear her niqab. She has indicated that no accommodations were requested; they were all suggested and instituted by the CEGEP itself, to her horror. I am so sickened by this - I just want to spit. By the way, if you don't want to wear a niqab, I support you in that respect 100%.
Shawn Christopher White, Montreal
As a teacher, I can tell you that having some students who wear a Niqab in a language class makes teaching this class extremely difficult. It messes up the entire class dynamics. Besides, I never knew how to deal with these students at the point of final exams. How exactly I am supposed to know who is sitting there underneath the niqab and writing my exam? How do I know it isn't a native speaker of the language we are learning, recruited specifically for the purpose of writing this exam?
Post a Comment