Hijab Interfaith Solution to Political Statement – Bill 21

Is hijab mandatory in Canada. December of 2021, a teacher in Quebec who wears a hijab was reassigned. She was reassigned from her teaching position in accordance with Quebec Bill 21. This law prohibits the the display of ostentatious religions symbols such as the hijab or kipa.

Quebec judge wouldn’t hear case of woman wearing hijab

Muslim leaders in Canada mandate that people who identify as women and Muslim wear the Hijab in public

Muslim leaders state clearly that Muslims are bound by love and dedication to Allah to strive to establish Islamic dominance. This is achieved by displaying loyalty to Islam. NCCM has developed workshops to normalize view of hijab and Islam as the champion of human rights. They have also developed workshops that specifically target teachers and parents.

Is the hijab used to make a political statement or Is hijab mandatory in Canada?

We first learn from progressive lesbian Muslim reformer and bestselling author Irshad Manji’s book Allah Liberty & Love P.181

Some women tell me by choosing the hijab they make a political point not a spiritual world one.

Chicago School Faculty Professor Jaleel Abdul-Adil

The vast majority of Islamic scholars make it clear that democracy and secularism are not compatible with Islamic values.

Following are statements made by influential Imams and scholars regarding secularism and democracy.

Dr. Jaleel Abdul-Adil, speaking at the Islamic World Order Conference 2020. From Pandemic to BLM an Alternative.

We Muslims are carrying our message of Islam that is not designed to assimilate or integrate into secularism. We cannot follow the crowd. Muslims must create the crowd moving toward an Islamic world order.

American Scholar Imam Hayton

Islam is not here to integrate. Islam is here to dominate. This is an ideological struggle the sole purpose of which is to organize men’s affairs in accordance with the system revealed by Allah. There is no room for compromise. 

Many Quebecer believe women wear the hijab to signal the rejection of Quebec culture

Mustafa Farooq of NCCM  National Council of Canadian Muslims

How are Muslims going to recreate Cordoba [Islamic State] in Edmonton, Toronto, Montreal, one in which we Muslims erase these artificial “nation-state” identities and move together to pursue jannah [Paradise]?

Sheikh Abu Ameenah Bilal Phillips founder of Islamic online University

Hijab is quite simple. Hijab is an obligation on Muslim women. It does not mean that if a Muslim woman doesn’t wear the hijab she is no longer a Muslim, but she is in sin. From the perspective of God she is in sin. If she does not wear the hijab, meaning that she covers her body, the whole of her body, with loose garments from head to toe, nothing being seen of her except her face and hands.

Secularism directly conflicts with the foundations of Islam. Faith and worship are interwoven into the fabric of Islamic society.

Islam q&a  is an academic, educational, da‘wah website which aims to offer advice and academic answers based on evidence from religious texts

There is no separation between politics and the religion of Islam.

Imam Syed Rizvi

When I look towards Allah and I see he has affiliation with Iran, has no affiliation with Canada, with America, I say I have affiliation with Iran.

Imam Mazin Abdul Adhim

Our loyalty is to the Khalifa. Our loyalty must remain with it whether it is present or absent. The only thing we are allowed to have loyalty towards is the full implementation of Islam.

Imam Ahmed Kutty is a well-known Islamic scholar in North America. He is currently a senior resident Islamic scholar at the Islamic Institute of Toronto. He has previously taught as an adjunct instructor at Emanuel College of the University of Toronto.

Toronto Imam Shabbir Ally

Modest attire for women that covers the whole body, excluding the face and the hands, is ordained by a law in the Quran. No Muslim or Muslima can reject it on the grounds of that, I am an adult, I can decide for myself.

Shabbir ally

Women who wear the hijab will be recognized and not molested. Some classical scholars say the woman should cover her face and hands when she goes out of the house.

Islam Balancing Life distributed at Toronto Dundas Sq.

Hijab frees a woman being perceived as sexual objects. Whereas when a woman chooses to show her body in one form or another the message is clear she wants attention and possibly much more.

Conclusion

Some people on the “right” will argue that this teacher is simply pushing the Islamic agenda to bring about the normalization of all things Islam. They will point to the statements made by NCCM and leading senior Imams that say just that.

Some on the ‘left” will argue that we must respect this teacher’s right to express her religion because it is her right guaranteed by the Canadian charter. The fact that Islamic leaders in Canada say all Muslims have a duty to strive in establishing Islamic Law in Canada and the world, that her hijab may be a political statement, is not important because this teacher is very nice and many like her.

Solution

Perhaps Muslim women could wear a hat. That is an interfaith bridge building compromise.

“Canada is not strong in spite of diversity but because of it”.

Hijab Interfaith Solution to the Question Is hijab mandatory in Canada.

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