WUNRN
Canadian Council of Muslim Women
http://ccmw.com/what-we-do/projects/muslim-women-and-the-niqab/
CANADA - Women in
Niqab Speak
Whether
through the power exercised by the media, public figures, policy makers or
other community stakeholders, Muslim women are often denied the platform and
agency to express their thoughts, beliefs and experiences concerning their
faith and community. This is best exemplified by the current debate concerning
the prohibition of the niqab, the facial covering worn by a small portion of
Muslim women. Various governments such as Belgium, Netherlands, the UK,
Germany, Austria and France have engaged in highly publicized debates and
policies concerning the face veil with Canada also following suit, with the
proposed Bill 94 in Quebec and the recent federal decision to ban the niqab
during citizenship ceremonies.
In response
to these events CCMW has issued position papers and offered public statements
at the Bill 94 hearing (download CCMW Bill 94 Brief – May 7 2010 in PDF). Yet
more recently, with a grant rewarded by the Trillium
Foundation, CCMW is undertaking a study on the practice of
Muslim-veiling. Conducting a series of surveys, interviews and focus groups
(Ottawa, Montreal, Toronto and Waterloo) with Muslim women who wear the niqab
and those who do not, the overarching goal of this project is to allow Muslim
women to speak for themselves. It is our hope that our report and the
narratives of these women, will build a greater understanding of the
complexities surrounding the niqab for policy makers, media officials,
researchers and members of the public.
Report in
English: http://ccmw.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/WEB_EN_WiNiqab_FINAL.pdf
Report in
French: http://ccmw.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/WEB_FR_WiNiqab_FINAL.pdf