The Canadian government tried to ban Muslim women who are obtaining their citizenships from covering their faces — and failed, big time. Here's how it all went down, thanks to one brave woman, who's a total #girlboss.
Zunera Ishaq, a devout Pakistani Muslim, challenged the Canadian government in court over a new law prohibiting women from wearing the niqab — a face-covering veil — when taking their citizenship oath, and the Federal Court of Canada sided with her argument. Justice Keith M. Boswell called the [the niqab ban] (http://news.nationalpost.com/news/canada/harper-appeals-court-ruling-that-struck-down-ban-on-wearing-niqab-during-citizenship-oath) “unlawful” and said it “interferes with a citizenship judge’s duty to allow candidates for citizenship the greatest possible freedom in the religious solemnization or the solemn affirmation of the oath.”
But the court's decision prompted Canadian Prime Minister and leader of the Conservative Party Stephen Harper to oppose the ruling and bring the case back to court, saying that veiling your face while being sworn in is “offensive” and “not how we do things here.” Today, a federal court of appeals showed PM Harper that tolerance is how things are done in Canada, and sided with Zunera. The three justices who delivered the ruling even added that they wanted to expedite the process so that Zunera could obtain her citizenship in time to vote in the October 19 federal election. Burn!
While this is a happy outcome, Zunera was pretty offended by the PM's actions, and in an op-ed for The Toronto Star, the 29-year-old mother wrote: “I am not looking for Mr. Harper to approve my life choices or dress. I am certainly not looking for him to speak on my behalf and 'save' me from oppression, without even ever having bothered to reach out to me and speak with me.”
While the niqab isn’t explicitly mentioned in the Qu’ran and isn’t deemed obligatory by many Islamic scholars in several schools of thought, it is encouraged for Muslim women to veil their hair when in the presence of men outside of their family. Zunera — who has removed her veiling for necessary security and identity procedures, like her driver's license, citizenship interview, and airport screenings — makes a compelling point.
For several decades, Westerners and many feminists have inserted themselves into the lives of Muslim women by proselytizing the headscarf (also known as the hijab) or the niqab as a symbol of oppression and sign that Muslim women must be liberated. Zeena Yasin, a student at the United Kingdom’s University of Nottingham, used to wear the niqab and strongly disagrees with that notion. Contrary to public opinion, the 19-year-old felt liberated when veiling her face and hair.
“As an ex-niqabi, I have felt how liberating it can be to wear one. This is primarily why I am against a general ban on niqabs,” Zeena told Teen Vogue. “It feels like I am a floating soul and I can navigate society as a woman, without being expected to conform to beauty standards,” she adds. When asked about the way the Western world is riled up over Muslim women choosing to wear the niqab, Zeena says, “The niqab is oppressive for some, and liberating for others. Get over it.”
Even though this is a big win for Zunera, Muslim women, and really just women everywhere, [a majority of Canadians] (http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2015/03/17/canadians-oppose-niqab-during-citizenship-ceremony-poll-suggests.html) and Conservative party members like PM Harper refuse to respect her religious freedom and right to choose her own attire.
These sentiments are reflective of the long history of how a woman’s character is judged by her own clothing choices. The allegiance and respect of a Muslim woman when wearing the niqab is perceived negatively (and unjustly) in the same way a woman reporting sexual assault is judged by her clothing.
Canada made the right decision today. They had a choice between two dichotomies: one in which women are judged based on their appearance and clothing choice and a culture promoting diversity and inclusion. We couldn't be happier that they chose the latter.
Related: 10 Misconceptions About Islam That Muslim Americans Are Tired of Hearing
Check out Teen Vogue’s October issue cover star, Elle Fanning.
