Anti-Veiling and the Charter of Québec Values: “Native Testimonials,” Erasure, and Violence against Montreal’s Muslim Women

Abstract

Depuis plus d’une décennie au Québec, des débats gouvernementaux ont cours concernant la règlementation du port de « signes ou symboles religieux », notamment les hijabs, niqabs, kippas, turbans et grands crucifix. En tenant compte de l’islamophobie genrée, j’analyse le processus antivoile, qui se sert des appareils d’État, comme les politiques, le débat public ou la loi, pour régir les pratiques relatives au voile islamique. À la lumière de cette approche, j’examine les rencontres entre des féministes aux diverses positions dans le contexte du débat sur la Charte des valeurs québécoises (projet de loi 60) et j’analyse comment ces actions ont reproduit ou légitimé des formes précises de subjectivation. Je mets également au premier plan les entrevues que j’ai réalisées avec des femmes musulmanes à titre individuel et en tant que militantes entre 2013 et 2014. Je soutiens que le processus antivoile produit des conséquences négatives pour les musulmanes en privilégiant la «voix autochtone» des musulmanes « de l’intérieur » tout en effaçant la complexité des identités des femmes musulmanes et en minimisant la violence qui se manifeste dans les débats publics entourant les « signes ou symboles religieux ».

Racial Attitudes and Vote Choice in National Canadian Elections

“…3A province that notably has had substantial political battles over the issue of religious garments such as those worn by Singh (Turgeon et al, 2019; Jahangeer, 2020; Gaudreault-DesBiens and Grillo, 2009). …”

Racial Secularism as Settler Colonial Sovereignty in Quebec 1

“…This charter established Quebec "values" such as gender equality, state neutrality, and laïcité, as "sacred." This political moment was very violent for Muslim women, especially those wearing the hijab (Jahangeer 2020). Even though the government lost the election before adopting the bill into law, a strong discourse of sexual nationalism monopolized the debate around secularism, fueling numerous moral panics and the security logic of the "War on Terror" (Benhadjoudja 2017;Bilge 2012).…”

“…Presenting the debate over secularism as a rift between two solitudes accomplishes two things: first, it refocuses the entire conversation around whiteness by erasing Indigenous people; second, it allows white colonial power to set the conditions of possibility for any critique of racism and colonialism. A large body of literature on anti-racism examines the politics of secularism and Islamophobia in Quebec (Bilge 2013;Zine 2012;Jahangeer 2020;Leroux 2013;Mahrouse 2010;Jiwani 2004). Building on these perspectives, I look at the way secularism participates in reinforcing the sovereignty of the Quebec colonial state, and thus colonialism, by racializing Muslims.…”

Guest Editors’ Introduction to the Special Issue

“…Those who attack Muslim women (e.g., attempted femicide as well as physical, sexual, and verbal assaults) often go unpunished and this gendered violence is likely much more pervasive than is currently known as it is not often reported (Ahmad, 2019). This situation has been apparent in politics, such as French President Jacques Chirac's attack on the hijab (Afshar, 2013) and Québec's Bill 21 (see Jahangeer, 2020;Magder, 2020;Vermes, 2020). Given their multiple positionalities, Muslim women are forced to negotiate their "Muslimness" as well as strategize how they might avoid being targeted by those spewing hateful words and actions, which limits where they go, what they wear, among other (in)actions-meanwhile ignoring the multifarious forms of "soft violence" such as snarky comments and glances because of the sheer multitude of such everyday micro/aggressions (Najib & Hopkins, 2019).…”