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Q&A with Zunera Ishaq who challenged Harper’s niqab ban

Q&A with Zunera Ishaq who challenged Harper’s niqab ban

A woman’s right to keep her face covered has turned into a hot-button issue during this election campaign.

Zunera Ishaq, 29, who came to Canada in 2008, has fought in court for the right to wear her niqab during her citizenship oath, a fight that was challenged unsuccessfully by the federal government several times.

The latest decision by the Federal Court of Appeal on Monday means the mother of three, who is taking her certification to upgrade a teacher’s degree from Pakistan, will get to keep her niqab on while being sworn in as a Canadian citizen later this month.

Since that decision, Conservative Leader Stephen Harper has vowed to ban niqabs in the federal civil service if re-elected.

When Yahoo Canada News caught up with Ishaq on Thursday, she was feeling excited after learning that she would be taking her citizenship oath before Oct. 19, making her eligible to vote on election day.

Q: Why is it important for you to wear the niqab during the citizenship ceremony?

A: It is very important to me because according to my beliefs, it is a religious duty of mine to wear it in the public.

But I would like to clear this point: I am not reluctant to show myself for identity and security, to confirm my identity. I have done this in the past, before taking the examination test, I have proved my identity with a female official and I am open to do it again before doing it at the citizenship ceremony.

But I will be standing in the ceremony and in public, I feel like it is my religious duty to maintain this obligation over there as well.

Q: A recent poll shows that a vast majority of Canadians are opposed to face coverings during citizenship ceremonies. What’s your reaction to this?

A: Basically, the polls are a result of the mis-education, which has been suppressed out of this issue of niqab. If there had been a chance [to] let people know how and why Muslim women wear the niqab, I would definitely say the polls would be turned around. This is only due the misguiding and mis-educating by the government, specifically.

Q: Is that something you’d like to take up as a cause?

A: Yes.

Q: I understand you’ve gotten a lot of hateful messages online. How have you reacted to this?

A: I didn’t feel anything about the general public, by the way, it’s only been given the picture of the Muslim niqab women. This is the reason they’re giving such kind of comments, abusing me verbally.

The government is responsible for all this negative image. They try to portray the image as Muslim women with hatred. They’ve tried to divide the opinion of the community upon this issue. I’d say that whatever the general public has done, the government is responsible for that, basically.

Q: Have you received support?

A: Generally the attitude of the public has been overall respectful towards me, until two weeks ago [when the first French debate was held]. Now in this situation there has been a big difference in their attitude. There is no specific community that is supporting to me. But of course the Muslim community will be at my back while I’m fighting for this, my religious issue.

Q: How has this affected your family?

A: My family is facing a lot of pressure. This issue has become a major focus of the political campaign. I think they are having pressure….They are trying to give me emotional support at this level.

My son — he is only seven years old — he’s concerned about the situation right now. Once he was with me in the mall, and one guy said something bad towards me and my niqab. My son felt scared and it took some impact on his mind. He was very nervous and asked why this person was doing this. I definitely could not give him a clear answer for that.

This is a very trivial issue of an individual’s personal choice. It shouldn’t be taken to a national level of political campaigning.