Posted here on 25 January, 2014.
Canadian Council of Muslim
Women:
Women in Niqab Speak: A Study of the Niqab in
Canada
Direct English Link: [English]
Women in Niqab Speak: A study of the niqab in Canada
Direct French Link: [Francais]
Paroles de Femmes qui Portent le Niqab
Executive Summary
7 January 2014 -
Very few pieces of faith based clothing in Canada have
ignited as much impassioned debates as the Muslim practice of the niqab.
Covering the woman’s body and hair and leaving only the eyes visible, the niqab
has often been problematized as a symbol of Islamic extremism, women’s
oppression and lastly the failure of Muslims to integrate. The Canadian Council
of Muslim Women (CCMW) is no stranger when it comes to addressing the very
issues that affect Canadian Muslim communities, including debates concerning
Muslim women and their choice of dress. Committed to the equality, equity,
empowerment and diversity of Muslim women and their voices, for more than 30
years the national organization has delivered community based projects and
advocated on behalf of Muslim women and their families. CCMW has previously
issued position papers about the niqab and also presented our statements to
government bodies. This has resulted in the media, policy officials,
community organizations and other inquiring minds asking the Council to weigh in
on the debate.
This study can
be seen as a response to this growing national conversation and a reflection of
CCMW’s values and continued commitment to the plurality of Muslim communities.
It represents an attempt to cast light on the existing agency of and provide
space for Canadian Muslim women who wear the niqab to speak for
themselves. This study is not intended to dwell upon the religious or
theological basis of the practice itself, but rather it is first and foremost
about the lived experiences of the women and the diverse narratives that
they have shared in their responses. The niqab itself is a complex issue and
raises many questions for Muslim communities and the wider Canadian population
itself. These questions do not yield simple answers, but they must be explored
through open and honest discussion.
The findings of
this report authored by Dr. Lynda Clarke of Concordia University paint a dynamic, engaging
picture of Canadian women who wear the niqab and challenge many of the
mainstream presumptions and stereotypes that are presented in the media, policy
circles and the wider public. A total of approximately 81 women who wore the
niqab participated in this study, 38 of whom responded to online surveys, 35
that participated in focus groups in Mississauga,
Montreal, Ottawa
and Waterloo and
8 who participated in in-depth individual interviews.
Keeping in mind
the limitations of the sample, based on available data in the study the typical
profile of woman in niqab is that of a married foreign-born citizen in her
twenties to early thirties who adopted the practice after arriving in
Canada. Most of the women possessed a
high level of education, having attended university, graduate school, community
college or some form of vocational education. The majority of the
participants were homemakers, while others were self-employed or worked in a
range of fields including Muslim communities, consulting, engineering and web
design. Those that did not work expressed a desire to in their lifetime, but
were concerned with the exclusion they would likely face in the
workplace.
In terms of
religious orientation, the majority of the respondents in the study adopted what
can be viewed as a “conservative” approach to Islam. For instance, the majority
of respondents did not agree with the practice of dating and did not believe
that homosexuality was an acceptable practice. Yet the presence of a
conservative religious outlook amongst participants did not translate into a
uniformity of attitudes towards the niqab itself and whether it was a
religiously mandatory practice. 44.7% of those surveyed established that
it was necessary for a Muslim woman to wear it; while 47.4% indicated “Not
necessary, but advisable” and 6.4% indicated that it was not, illustrating the
variety of religious understandings concerning the article of dress amongst the
participants themselves.
The reasons for
why Canadian women wore the niqab, as the author notes were “highly personal and
individual” with a mixture of responses and rationales. Yet, “religious
obligation” including attaining a deeper stage in one’s religious development
and “expression of Muslim identity” featured prominently in participants’
explanations, with sub-themes such as self-study/religious role models,
appropriate gender-relations, confidence/self-esteem and freedom from the
pressures of fashion also playing a determining factor. Present in
only a minority of rationales for wearing the niqab were husbands and families
as many of the participants came from families where they faced opposition for
wearing it, often taking on the practice without consulting their families.
While a small number of women cited spousal encouragement for why they wore the
niqab, many women indicated facing spousal opposition and explained that their
larger struggle was with soliciting spousal support for their
decision.
In response to
religious accommodation and access to government services, including social,
legal and health, all of our participants indicated that there would be
situations when it was necessary to uncover or show their face including airport
security, ID cards, accessing hospital services or even driving. As one
interviewee indicated, “It’s part of our religion to cooperate with the
government, so we have to.” When asked if it was appropriate to show
their face in accessing government services, most of the participants indicated
“Sometimes.” While many of the respondents indicated a preference for female
service providers (physicians), some of the participants did not oppose
receiving services from men. Interestingly, rather than describing their access
to services as problematic, most of the women in the study expressed that their
niqabs did not affect their access and relayed positive sentiments. Similar
views were expressed when asked about access to education, where the majority of
participants expressed comfort and acceptance in their educational
programs.
This larger
trend of tolerance and accommodation within Canada is
reflected in the optimistic attitudes that the women in the study expressed
towards Canadian society as a whole. While some participants relayed their
negative experiences which ranged from physical assault to verbal harassment,
not a single participant in the study described her overall experience in
Canada as being negative.
Participants described these harmful experiences as reflecting a minority
of the Canadian population and instead relayed a strong affinity to
Canada, praising its
multiculturalism, its respect for human rights, its freedom and life changing
opportunities.
The recently
proposed Charter of Quebec Values has once again brought religious forms of
dress and the question of religious accommodation to the forefront and CCMW’s
position on the matter has remained steadfast. While CCMW does not agree that
the niqab is a religiously mandatory practice, the Council upholds the right of
every woman to dress as she wishes as she has the freedom to interpret her
religion as she believes. We denounce any state action which limits the ability
of peoples to wear religious clothing as it is not the role nor responsibility
of governments to control women’s and men’s bodies and forms of dress. Moreover,
CCMW agrees that the accommodation for Muslim women to wear the face veil must
be within reasonable limits and that women should show their faces under certain
circumstances for the purposes of safety and security, a sentiment that was
shared by the overwhelming majority of women in this
study.
CCMW would like
to extend its gratitude to the Ontario Trillium Foundation whose generous funds
allowed this project to become a reality. The Council is also grateful to its
Chapters and volunteers who worked tirelessly to gather participants and
organize focus groups. CCMW is also indebted to Dr. Lynda Clarke and her
research team at Concordia University, whose hard word and resolve
made this study possible.
Lastly, we are eternally thankful to the Muslim women
from across the country and the province of Ontario that shared their life experiences
with us and to whom we dedicate this publication. Our hope is that the research
presented here will help build a more inclusive Canada by
developing a greater understanding amongst policy officials, the media and the
public, by providing them with knowledge about Muslim women and the niqab that
is rooted in the voices of Muslim women themselves. As the late Václav Havel
reminds us, “Different cultures . . . can share only what they perceive as
genuine common ground, not something that some simply offer to or even force
upon others. The rules of human coexistence . . . can work only if they grow out
of the deepest experience of everyone, not just some.”
About the Publication’s Author
Lynda Clarke is Professor of Religion and Islam in the Department of Religion at Concordia University in Montreal. She focuses in her research and teaching on Shiism, gender and law, and has also written on Islam in the West and Canada. Her most recent publication in the latter field is “Asking Questions about Shariah: Lessons from Ontario”, a chapter in the volume Debating Shariah: Islam, Gender Politics and Family Law Arbitration, published by the University of Toronto Press in 2012.Professor Clarke is a longstanding ally of CCMW, having collaborated in several other projects, including the Muslim Marriage Contract Kit designed to provide a basis for Muslim couples to construct a more equal marriage using Muslim law. She is also the co-author of the CCMW book on Muslim and Canadian Family Laws.
said: “The best among you (Muslims) are those who learn the 
reported that the Prophet 
