Niqab

Salima Khawaja

Rabi' al-Awwal 20, 1434 2013-02-01

Letters To The Editor

by Salima Khawaja (Letters To The Editor, Crescent International Vol. 41, No. 12, Rabi' al-Awwal, 1434)

Canada’s Supreme Court led by its energetic Chief Justice Beverley MacLachlin has shown it will not bow to racists and bigots but stand up for the rights of all people.

Most Muslim scholars are of the opinion that niqab (full face covering) is not mandatory, but the fact that some Muslim women choose to wear it should be respected. This is what the Supreme Court of Canada did in December, much to the chagrin of the racists and Islamophobes. Under the rubric of freedom, women are allowed to bare virtually everything but they are told they are “oppressed” if they decide to cover. What kind of warped logic is that?

Salima Khawaja

Scarborough, ON, Canada