One of the most frustrating battles I have had to fight as an Arab woman living in the West is that of breaking down the pervasive Western stereotypes of Arab women. Indeed, it is a most difficult task to decode that which has been encoded in Western minds for centuries on the East (or the Orient as per Edward Said’s words), and to counterpart the misconceptions with a true existing representation of a changing, progressive modern-day reality, one characteristic of Arab women standing defiant to oppression and to any practices that may bring about gender bias and inequality.
However, all progress is decelerated when an incident as the recent one in Quebec takes place where a Muslim woman demands her right to wearing the niqab (a Muslim headwear which covers the whole head leaving only the eyes exposed)!
Last Wednesday, March 25, Quebec legislation tabled the decision mandating that all Muslim women and others will have to uncover their concealed faces when dealing with Quebec government services. The bill dictates that anyone obtaining, or delivering, services at places like the provincial health or auto-insurance boards will need to do so with their faces uncovered. The legislation also states that face coverings will not be tolerated if they hinder communication or visual identification.
This ruling is an outcome of a complaint filed earlier this month with the province’s Human Rights Commission by Naïma Atef Amed, of Egyptian Arab descent, after she was kicked out of a government-funded language class for new immigrants in Montreal. Amed demanded that she is allowed to deliver an oral presentation with her back facing the class, reportedly due to the presence of males in the classroom, but the instructor denied her request and asked for her niqab to be removed for purposes of the oral language presentation.
Premier Jean Charest defended the school’s decision, saying that people who expect to receive public services must show their face. And Quebec Immigration Minister Yolande James explains that Quebec immigrants sign a contract in which they are asked to make a moral commitment to Quebec’s values, including secularism, gender equality and respect for the francophone majority. “You make the choice to come to Quebec — you are welcome,” said James, “Immigration is a plus for society — but values must be respected, and I remind you that the majority supports these values.”
“How do you feel about this?” I am often asked. Well, in simplest terms, I am a Westernized Arab woman who is an advocate of gender equality and a defender of feminist principles. The problem for me stems from the roots of the matter where expectations demanded of a Muslim woman are by no means applicable to men, and the most blatant of all is the Muslim niqab—Can you imagine how ridiculous it would be to see a man walking around with a head-cover concealing his face and only revealing his eyes? I strongly believe that the niqab is an oppressive form of discrimination depriving women of their basic right to an identity, and one justified in the name of religion!
Moreover, I stand against any extremist conduct at any level, whether religious or other, and I perceive the Niqab as an extreme religious practice. It is important to make clear that I am not addressing the hijab covering the hair, but the act of covering a face with a niqab where only the eyes are exposed, and specifically when carried out on Western soil.
Although the Niqab happens to be a common sight in the streets of a Mulsim country, the opposite does not hold true. In the midst of Westerners, this practice could never pass in a subtle manner. A woman wearing the niqab in the West ironically draws more attention to her face and looks as odd as one would by wearing a long black coat on a summer beach!
As an Arab woman raised in the West, I fully understand the importance of keeping to cultural traditions and religious beliefs, but I have also learned the importance of assimilation. It is understandable that immigrants seek to preserve the old, but they must also embrace the new. And if the new happens to conflict with their own beliefs, then they might as well remain in their original homelands where they might feel a better sense of belonging and acceptance.
I would also like to make clear that I am not implying one needs to shed his/her identity in another country. In fact, when not taken to extreme measures (as is the case with the niqab), the hijab covering the hair can make a positive statement about celebrating religious beliefs or cultural traditions as is the case with an Indian wearing her flamboyant silk Sari or a Pakistani wearing her traditional Salwar Kameez.
On the counter side, a Western woman seeking opportunities in Saudi Arabia would have to abide by the laws of the country and is forced to wear the hijab in public. Moreover, a Westerner would never attempt to wear a bikini-top in the streets of Damascus as it would be an act of extreme measures and deemed offensive by cultural practices and religious beliefs.
And the reciprocal holds true—From a Western perspective, the niqab stands as a symbol of oppression and extreme fundamentalism, and is furthermore offensive to many in the West. When discussing this topic with a friend of mine, Anita Savage, a Westerner of American and Swiss-European background, she states, “From a Western point of view, a hair cover like the Muslim women’s hijab or the Jewish men’s Kippah stands as a symbol for religious humility and modesty; however, when the niqab is worn in our country, it becomes a very insulting statement to Westerners. To me, it is a form of accusation that implies we are a degenerate society to whom a woman is afraid to show her face! But what they are afraid of? And, if they feel so threatened by our Western men (or by men in general), then perhaps they should stay within the walls of their house and avoid encounters with men! We try our best not to offend immigrants; however, our culture does not support this type of extremism, and I don’t think we should tolerate it either!”
I also asked the opinion of Professor Joshua Landis, Director of the Center for Middle East Studies and Associate Professor at the University of Oklahoma (USA) for his opinion on the subject, and his reply was, “If the government can make a compelling case that removing the niqab is necessary for state security and anti-fraud measures, I am for it. I am sure that women’s modesty can be protected through additional measures, such as allowing a male relative to be present at the interview if the woman asks for it, or by being interviewed by a woman officer.”—Yet another example truly reflecting the respectful, accommodating, accepting, and understanding nature of the educated Western mindset.
I will end my article by posing a question that has always weighed very heavily on my heart: Will there ever come a day in human history when all barriers, whether separating faces, sexes, or peoples, be lifted for the sake of a universal humanity?