Don't Judge a Book by Its Cover

RE: Canada Bill in Quebec Would Ban Veils in Dealings with Officials (3/25/10)

To the Editor:

In this short article Ian Austen writes that Quebec has proposed a law that does not allow women to cover their faces when seeking government services. The article also states that this law is being passed to increase equality between men and women; however, I disagree. I chose this article in part because during my Soliya break out session this week we discussed the hijab and what it means. Many Muslim women do not see it as a sign of inequality, but rather, as an equalizing force in their lives. It is far more than a sign of modesty. My group discussed that the modesty of the hijab allows women to be know for their personality rather than their looks. I am not denying that in some instances it can imprison women, but Quebec should take a serious look at whether their women citizens truly need, or want, to be “liberated.”