Quebec Teacher Removed from the Classroom for Wearing Headscarf | Dr. Safiyyah Ally

Quebec teacher Fatemeh Anvari was removed from the classroom because her headscarf violates Bill 21, a law in one of the largest provinces in Canada that prevents civil servants from wearing "religious symbols". Dr. Safiyyah Ally points out problems with Quebec's application of laïcité, comments on the reticence of political leaders to get involved, and explains that though Muslim women are disproportionately affected, there are unfortunately no quick and easy solutions.

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[Natalie-fjfs]

What would I do? I’d remove my hijab since God did not tell me to cover my head but to cover my bosom with it. The hijab is not religious practice it’s cultural practice which made its way into Islam.

[mjp-bire]

My child has one teacher who is covered from head to toe in tattoos and another is covered from head to toe because she is muslim. Both teachers are excellent.

[alikhfurniturerepairsalikh]

As a practicing Muslim I cannot forget that this country is a secular country, and I must always remember that.

[bikkohoro]

That school gotta be sued. Period. This is Canada.

[patrickgahwolf]

Some people can be completely ignorant, even stupid, when dealing with others.

[bryanbradley]

It also prevents people like David Duke going around schools with their traditional robes/hoods. How much you want to be all the goofs against this would be for it if people like "David Duke" walked around freely with robes/hoods. (Yes they're technically a minority)

[markdoughty]

This Bill needs to be challenged and removed from the Canadian statute books; what one chooses to wear, either for religious or non-religious reasons, has nothing to do with their ability to undertake their job, which is why this piece of legislation makes no sense. Let common sense prevail amongst our legislators and let's see this particular piece of bias legislation removed from Canadian civil law. An educational upload - thanks.

[danielwilson]

Did we stop to consider that some of the parents of children in that school may not want teachers to publicly display religious on their person. What about those parents.

[margarettaha]

Under this prime ministers watch.. This person has failed under my eyes for so many years. It is because he has an elite background. Even his father talking with an indigenous, intellectual, politician and he laughed at her. In front of the camera of a CBC news program about two months ago.
In 1976 I moved to Montreal and even in the immigration department, my friends came from Scotland
and within the office, the question was Why do you want someone from England ? or Scotland?. English sweets were being banned from stores and people wanted their children to learn English not French. I was listening to a French Canadian lady and when she was angry and she would say Ah ! la Tabernak
I understood this as swearing but it is a holy box placed on the alter in a R.C. church. In my mind the catholic church over many years has done so much damage to children, to girls and boys And WOMEN all over this world for so many years and the leader, he sits somewhere and has no idea of the HISTORY of the the people it has destroyed. I know this from living in U.K. and having IRISH parents.
Another major subject stems from Why are these priests not allowed to MARRY ? These people will speak from the grave about these priests. Jazak ALLAH M Taha

[ericbrazau]

Some would say you can simply take off the head scarf. Imam Rizvi says the hijab is a political symbol.

[rocketdogticker]

If Muslims, Jews, Sikhs and Christians are outcasts and I would be honored to be an outcast! *SubhanAllah*

[bngr_bngr]

I can’t wear my cowboy hat in the classroom. Go figure.

[eddiemonesti]

Advocate for people in Pakistan and India.

[pedroamaralcouto]

It seems there's the idea that if a public employee is wearing a religious clothe, then the State is promoting religion. But I think that is a silly idea and a blind way of interpreting secularism (or "laïcité"). A headscarf only, at most, says something about the person who is wearing it, it's not a message from the State. I think forbidding someone wearing a headscarf is an example of the State interfering with religion.

The interference must incidental. For instance, of course human sacrifices are expected to be forbidden, because they're homicides. If there are religions promoting human sacrifices, the State should not make them exceptional cases. But forbidding wearing a headscarf is not the same thing: it requires thinking it's, supposedly, a religious symbol. It's merely motivated on interfering with personal religious decisions.

[ML-jwkf]

The video should not have ended with ''no one seems to care''. That is a defeatist ending. Rather it should have ended on a call to action and hope. Some guidance on what Canadians in Quebec can do.

[pmk]

Bill 21 is totally absurd n bias.People in all over Canada standup against this.This is not happen in Canada, where multicultural societies exists and all kind of people lives n practices their religion.

[Daisy-yqgi]

Canada is a woke liberal state where tolerance is not something that the government allows.

[Moler]

As Salam

Simbols of Quebec flag are roots of historical Bosnia or nowadays Bosnia & Herzegovina

[Damon-pu]

This targeting of Muslim women for wearing clothing that is an integral part of their religion is disgusting. But Quebec has got this from the French, who are notoriously illiberal towards Muslim women, despite proclaiming themselves to be a liberal state 'par excellence'.

[alphasey]

Regardless of what Quebec does, Islam is here to stay. Whether they like it or not.