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Cartoonist lampoons niqab, angers Muslims in Canada

Taiwan News.Net
Sunday 14th March, 2010 (IANS)

A controversial cartoon in a Montreal newspaper at the weekend has further fuelled the niqab controversy and angered Muslims in Canada.

The controversy, which was sparked by a Muslim woman's refusal in November to remove her veil in her French language class in Montreal, has been further inflamed by the controversial cartoon in the Montreal Gazette at the weekend. In the cartoon, a Muslim woman is depicted in niqab from top to toes, with the slit space for her eyes shown in jail bars and a lock.

Defending it, the cartoonist Terry Mosher said he drew it to oppose the Muslim woman's argument in favour of the veil and encourage debate over the issue.

'In the (Montreal) Gazette this morning, there is actually an editorial in support of the woman, and yet my cartoon is against it. So that is part of the discussion and I think that's a very healthy thing,'' the cartoonist told the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.

The controversy erupted after the Muslim woman Naima Atef Amed, a mother of three who is a new immigrant to Canada, filed a petition with the human rights commission in Quebec province for violations of her religious rights two weeks ago.

But the director of the college - CEGEP de Saint-Laurent - in Montreal said they tried to accommodate the woman's demands by allowing her to wear the niqab, giving her the front seat and letting her make her presentations from the rear of the classroom with her back to the class so that boys male students didn't see her.

Matters came to a head when the woman asked male students to move away from her and refused to sit with them around a U-table for conversation skill development classes.

Canadians have reacted angrily to the woman's insistence to wear the niqab, with demands for a review of immigration policies and ban on symbols of oppression even as Muslim leaders have slammed the cartoonist. This is 'a distasteful way of showing the cartoon and of showing the lock - the woman is locking herself. Why is he (cartoonist) advancing those ideas again and claiming this would inspire debate?' said Montreal Muslim Council leader Salam Elmenyawi on the news network.

Canada is home to more than a million Muslims in its population of over 33 million. But according to the latest figures, the Muslim population is set to triple in the next two decades, making them the fastest growing group in Canada.

(Gurmukh Singh can be contacted at gurmukh.s@ians.in)

 

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Comments on this story

Old fart
03-15-10, 04:41 AM

Cartoonist lampoons niqab, angers Muslims in Canada

I wonder if she was wearing this mask when she first applied for immigration...

Sheet Head
03-15-10, 07:47 AM

According to other stories she wasn’t wearing the Niqab when she applied for the free, government sponsored course. So it’s hard to say if she was wearing to immigrate. Being Muslim has nothing to do with wearing a costume suitable for the desert, or pretending you’re a ghost- this is a cultural thing, enforced by men. If she doesn’t like to be without it she should go back to the desert. Egyptian Muslims have even denounced this covering. (It must get really smelly in there by the end of the day. Between sweating & breath odor from the spcey foods.....whew!)

Randee Brownoser
03-15-10, 07:55 AM

TROUBLEMAKER IN A MASK!

Nothing religious about this cover-up. Nowhere in Quran does it say women have to wear these hideous outfits, only that they dress modestly. Out of respect for Canadian culture, this wearing of costumes should be banned. WHy would they come here if they don’t like our stand of dressing for this decade, not the 1500’s. Hope the liberal leaning judges who hear the case realize who actually pays their wages & listens to the majority. Canadians do not wan to see these scarey looking appiritions wherever they go. She is obviously relying on the handouts from Canadians to survive, if she is depending on a free French course (most English Canadian citizens have to pay for French courses, by the way) She doesn’t want to fit. Send her back. Canaidans have spoken. Quit wasting money on this troublemaker with her inflated sense of entitlement, & get rid of her & her ungrateful family before there are five of them whining about their human rights, while infringing on the sensativities of their host. They are parasites, nothing more.Not worth a court case.

Sadly
03-15-10, 10:11 AM

Religion

Catholics and the Muslims are morons.

jack
03-15-10, 11:04 AM

Canada - Rest in Peace

Here we go again, hiding behind religion. This situation should not be brought to court, it should have been dealt with before these people come to OUR country. They should live by OUR rules. Now we are going to waste valuable taxpayers money, my money, your money on bullshit. If your religion requires you to carry a knife, why??? Maybe in the past the knife was required for the person to hunt for their family. What animal are they going to kill on their way to school? Canadians have been brainwashed
to change their ways for others, why??? I thought the government(legal mafia) worked for us people, when are they going to start taking care of us. They never will, they are to busy lining their own pockets. They don’t care about the hundreds of canadians living in poverty, why should they, they are living high and mighty. They can break laws and not go to jail. If I stole money from my company, I would be fired and put in jail. Work for the government and you will not be punished or accoutable. Canadians think long and hard before it’s too late and Canada is renamed a muslim state.

Tobin
03-15-10, 03:42 PM

Thin Skin

We have a history in N. America of finding fun and humour in many activities and making them the subject of cartoons. When people over react you have got to wonder why? Are they so unsure of themselves or feeling threatened?
Please everyone lighten up!!!

Anonymous
03-15-10, 07:26 PM

What Is The Truth

We now seem to be going from wearing an article of clothing to making other demands (if true) i.e. seating arrangements, men, etc. If this is true the Quebec government needs to quickly become involved and clearly point out to the Human Rights people that they will not entertain any of this nonsense.

Anonymous
03-15-10, 09:36 PM

New to Canada and already suing us - way to go - and we let them do it. Get a brain government - they either Canadian to Canadian ways or they stay where they want to come from.


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