Joined by faith, divided by custom: Muslim women argue for and against Quebec's Bill 62

When Quebec passed its religious neutrality law in October, it whipped up a storm of discord centred around the bill’s constitutionality and potentially Islamophobic overtones.

If the bill survives long enough to take effect in July — Quebecers are already denouncing Bill 62 and calling on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to intervene with a court challenge — it will prohibit Muslim women who wear face veils from giving or receiving public services.

This means, for example, that a woman in niqab will be required to show her face when interacting with staff at hospitals, libraries and on public transit. Students will need to keep their faces uncovered in class in all levels of publicly funded education, as will anyone picking up a child from an after-school program.

Anyone working in government departments, school boards, colleges and universities, public health and social services, transit and early childhood centres and subsidized daycares will also need to keep their face uncovered.

Those who back the bill argue it ensures proper communication, identification and security during the exchange of public security. Opponents say it is unconstitutional, discriminatory and unnecessary, and that it infringes on the religious rights of a small minority.

Ipsos and Angus Reid Institute polls have shown that the majority of Quebecers and Canadians — between 68 and 76 per cent depending on the poll — support a face-covering law. A poll of our own Yahoo Canada readers suggested a landslide of support for the Bill 62 – 80 per cent in favour, with 20 per cent opposed.

Two Muslim women living in Montreal have found themselves on either side of the debate, and discussed their opinions with Yahoo News.

Roksana Nazneen: The niqab is a symbol of misogyny and extremism

To Roksana Nazneen, Bill 62 represents a step in the right direction for Muslim integration into Canadian society. And for Muslim women’s liberation.

“To me, niqab is a misogynistic and politically motivated symbol which became known as an Islamist symbol,” she said. “And I find this troubling.”

Nazneen was born and raised Muslim in Bangladesh. Her family are pious followers of Islam, praying together five times each day, but she said the custom of women wearing a face veil was never observed, or even discussed. She views the practice of wearing a burka or a niqab as a newer movement more than a traditional Muslim custom.

“We never even heard of the term ‘niqab’ until 20 years ago,” she said.

To Nazneen, who teaches sociology at John Abbott College in a suburb of Montreal, the niqab and burqa are symbols of extremism and radicalism. To wear one, she said, is “totally anti-social” and a rejection of Canadian society. She hopes Bill 62 will encourage Muslim women to think twice before donning one.

And, she doesn’t quite understand opposition to the bill.

“For identification purposes, they have to show their faces anyway. There’s no way around it. I don’t see why it would be any problem,” she said.

“Because it is common sense. In public spheres there are places where people need to show their faces in order to interact.”

Fatima Ahmad: Face-covering laws feed misconceptions and marginalize a minority

Fatimah Ahmad has recently changed two habits, and neither change involves putting away her niqab.

Ahmad, who said she has faced criticism from strangers for wearing a niqab, no longer feels comfortable riding the bus. So she’s stopped doing that. She’s also started to carry a cell phone.

She’s frightened of Bill 62, and the way she believes it fuels misconceptions about Islam.

“After the bill [passed] I got a phone because I didn’t feel safe anymore walking at night,” she said. “People have a lot of misconceptions about the niqab.”

Ahmad was born and raised in Canada and first donned a niqab a year ago after growing to admire a friend who wore one. Her first niqab was a gift, and she wears it with enthusiasm.

“I just loved it,” she said. “I wear it as a sign of my faith and as an act of devotion towards God.”

She sees Bill 62 as an attack on to her religious freedom, not only as a Muslim, but as a woman. She feels marginalized, by society and by her own provincial government.

“Not only is it something that limits our access to services, one of our rights, but it also targets women,” she said. “We were already targeted because people are not familiar with our niqab, and this law just gives people the rights further to discriminate against us.”

Beyond being frightened and hurt by the law, she finds it unnecessary. It’s based on the idea that Muslim women in niqab categorically refuse to show their faces, she said, which isn’t true.

“They’re making it seem like we don’t show our face, but we do show our face when we’re asked, without a problem,” she said. “Usually when niqabi women have to show their face they just ask [to show it to] women, because for women they don’t have to cover it.”

Ahmad, who studies elementary education at McGill University, doesn’t buy into the argument that wearing a niqab impedes communication, either.

“If for example a blind person can’t see, I don’t think they form any less of a relationship because they can’t see a person’s face,” she said.

She believes a better way to quell fear and mistrust surrounding women who wear niqabs is to educate Canadians about the custom, and about Islam in general.

“If you want to be an inclusive society, it’s not good to put a minority within a minority group under the bus. It would he helpful to have a dialogue instead,” she said. “I didn’t come here from somewhere. I was born and raised here. I chose to wear this, and I’m not trying to impose anything, I’m just practicing it. There’s nothing to be fearful of.”

After hearing either side of the arguments, what do you think of Bill 62?