by Fathima Cader and Sumayya Kassamali Ten years after September 11, 2001, the term “Islamophobia,” once largely obscure, has become all but inevitable when discussing contemporary politics. As Al-Qaeda and Osama bin Laden became household names, Western fear of the world’s 1.5 billion Muslims has also grown. Canada has been
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kirbycairo: The Niqab and our Discourse. . . . .
Like many of us, I have thought a great deal about the issue of the niqab in public life. The recent banning of this garment in public in France set many people thinking and talking about the question and Minister Kenney’s recent banning of the niqab in citizenship ceremonies has
Continue readingProgressive Proselytizing: Culture Wars: The Harper Government’s ridiculous ban on the Burqa during the citizenship ceremony
Immigration Minister Jason Kenney has just announced plan to ban the use of the burqa or niqab for new Canadians during the Oath of Citizenship. I was very disappointed not just with the decision, but with how the decision was made and the various justifications used to defend it. Let
Continue readingProgressive Proselytizing: Sisterwives reframes the polygamy debate
It is always easier to dispel some characterization when it is given absolutely; not just as a generalization, not just as something that exists for some people, but as something that is always true. In this case, one merely needs to find a single counterexample to disprove the claim. Polygamy is one of those subjects
Continue readingProgressive Proselytizing: Defending the Burqa
The Netherlands is the next country in the domino chain, following France and Belgium, in which it is likely they will ban the burqa in all public places. There are many arguments against such a ban that fall very much in line with typical liberal val…
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