In Quebec, a state commission on “Reasonable Accommodation,” regarding the rights of minorities and new immigrants in Quebec is attracting national media attention. State-sponsored hearings are currently touring throughout the province, ending in late November 2007 in Montreal, Quebec.

Islamic culture rests at the center of the political tempest, as the customs of Muslim women are being fiercely debated throughout Quebec by non-Muslims, in the context of a series of state sponsored hearings lead by philosopher Charles Taylor and sociologist Gérard Bouchard, who in co-chair the government commission offer little background experience in regards to the lived realities of new immigrants in Quebec.

“Reasonable Accommodation,” as an expression attempting to describe social tolerance toward the customs/cultures of new immigrants, has emerged as a buzz phrase in Canadian politics surrounding the current Quebec debate. At the government commission multiple citizens are speaking directly against the idea of accommodating religious minorities, while directly impacted community groups are publicly criticizing the government initiated process as fostering racism in Quebec.

Quebecâe(TM)s debate surrounding minority rights made international headlines in 2007, when the rural town of Herouxville passed a municipal code, which informed immigrants that, “the way of life which they abandoned when they left their countries of origin cannot be recreated here,” including Islamic practices like the Hijab. Government sponsored hearings on the rights of new immigrants in Quebec will continue until the end of November, at which time the commission will land in Montreal, where counter activities are being organized.

In an attempt to project voices from Montreal directly impacted by the growing racism to new immigrants and Islam in the context of the government sponsor hearings, below are the voices of community organizers combating racism in Quebec. May Hayder, is a community organizer with Al-Hidaya Association, a Lebanese community center with hundreds of members in the Montreal area. Nazila Bettache, is an Algerian organizer and trained as a physician working with No One is Illegal in Montreal.

Stefan Christoff: How does this debate on “Reasonable Accommodation” impact your community?

May Hayder: They feel that this entire debate isnâe(TM)t reasonable, that the whole debate is not equitable. Actually many feel itâe(TM)s really nonsense to ever discuss this issue. When a person requests a reasonable accommodation, is a request for an accommodation that is already a right [in the Charter of Rights and Freedoms].

It is the right of religious people or any other cultural group to live and express their distinct culture within society. In Canada, we claim that we are living in a democratic society, [in which] everyone has the right to live in the way that they want.

In Quebec, we read about the history of this province, the silent revolution, which demanded that religion doesnâe(TM)t interfere within the affairs of the state or government. Quebec developed this concept of strongly secular society, which allows each person to live their own way of live, to express individual religious or cultural believes without impacting the rulings of the state.

Today, when you want to impose on other people a certain way of living, I see that as a religion in itself. Quebec has had transformed secularity into a religion itself, that demands to have all people live within the confines of mainstream Quebec culture. I see this shift [toward forced secularism] as not democratic.

Christoff: Can you address some of the specific debates that have involved your community around “Reasonable Accommodation,” some specific examples of where your community has been forced to defend itselfâe¦

Hayder: An example of the debate on “Reasonable Accommodation” directly impacting our community, was surrounding a Taekwon-Do tournament. At the tournament the five girls wearing the Hijab intended on participating, however were expelled from the tournament due to the fact that they wore Hijab. In previous years the same girls had participated without any incident.

Christoff: This is a community based Taekwon-Do team?

Hayder: Yes, itâe(TM)s a community based Taekwon-Do team, the girls are very ambitious and have dreams about their future in this sport. This decision to kick the girls out of the tournament came as a shock for the girls on the Taekwon-Do team but to the entire community, that this debate [on “Reasonable Accommodation”] has taken such a dimension such a magnitude.

Upon the girls entering the tournament they were originally accepted, paid the fees involved and just prior to the tournament one of the judges objected to their presence, to them playing while wearing the Hijab, telling the girls to remove their Hijab. In response, the girls refused to remove their Hijab objecting, with the team coach explaining to the judge that each year the team participates without previous problem. After a meeting of the judges at the tournament it was decided to ban the girls from playing unless they remove their Hijab.

Christoff: What was your communityâe(TM)s reaction to this by the decision to ban the girls from the tournament?

Hayder Our community was shocked by this decision; the girls were really frustrated, the parents didnâe(TM)t comprehend why this happened, while at the same time the community started demanding that we raise our voices against such discrimination.

Christoff: Talk about the voices in your community who are demanding that this discrimination end, that this injustice is halted.

Hayder: Since this debate [on “Reasonable Accommodation”] is gaining momentum more and more, with a governmental commission established, there are fears that there will be in the future rulings that impact our lives, relating to Muslim girls or women not wearing their Hijab at school, or relating to discrimination in the workplace, with Muslim women not having access to the same or equal opportunities. Our community is really worried about these issues, feeling that our future will be directed by others, while some people expressed their willingness to leave to other provinces in Canada.

Christoff: In terms of the discussions around “Reasonable Accommodation,” language concerning womenâe(TM)s rights or womenâe(TM)s liberty is often invokedâe¦

Hayder: Yes, I find it funny really that someone talks about these issues without even understanding the cultural background and the religious background of the women, as they want to apply their own view of womenâe(TM)s liberty on to others.

In this context I look back into Canadian history, when the first settlers arrived in this land how they treated indigenous women and how they at the same time spoke about liberating indigenous women. So, I find this entire discussion very intrusive, very discriminatory. How can you liberate women through imposing on women a certain way of life, which she herself doesnâe(TM)t agree to. Imposing of a life-style or a way of life, I donâe(TM)t see this as liberation.

Christoff: How do you view this framing of the discussion on womenâe(TM)s liberation?

Hayder: I view this as oppression, actually. I donâe(TM)t understand how people donâe(TM)t see that you can not impose your way of live over others. Muslim women have chosen their way of life, they donâe(TM)t feel that they are less then men in the religion. If for any reason Muslim women feel that things are being imposed on them within their community or faith, we live in a democratic society, in which freedom is cherished and where they have the freedom to liberate themselves. Itâe(TM)s not up to other people to liberate them.

Listen to Stefan Christoff’s interview with Nazila Bettache here.

Stefan Christoff

Stefan Christoff is a musician, community organizer and host of Free City Radio that airs weekly on multiple stations across Canada. X: @spirodon / Instagram: @spirochristoff