Abaya: the French obsession that affects Quebec women
In France, the political-media sphere regularly questions the dress of Muslim women. The latest controversial case is that of The abaya. Indeed, at the start of the school year, the French Minister of National Education banned the wearing of these long dresses in public schools (which receive students aged 11 to 18).
In Quebec, many women fear that this controversy will affect them... when it is not already the case. How can we explain that a French quarrel is being exported here, and what are the consequences? We have chosen to give the microphone to the first concerned.
“You're in Quebec here, you're not in Afghanistan! ”
We met Sarah**, a Montreal woman who has been wearing the abaya for two years. On September 11, the 24-year-old woman was about to join one of her friends for a shopping spree. As usual, she puts on one of her long dresses. She chooses the one she just bought, an elegant and quality model, she says.
Less than 15 minutes later, at the foot of her building, Sarah was the victim of an attack on the street. “You're in Quebec here, you're not in Afghanistan! ” a Caucasian-looking man tells him. He points to it, accompanies this gesture with “fuck you” and other insults. She remembers that no one around her reacted.
“[After that], I took the bus to the subway. All along the way, I was so anxious, I asked myself, “Should I turn around and go home?” But I said to myself, “No, be strong.” So I called my husband and stayed on the line with him until I reached my destination. I was deeply moved.”
Sarah is adamant: she sees this attack as a direct link to the controversy that is raging in France. “I have been wearing abayas, these long loose dresses, for two years now,” explains the veiled woman. But the past two weeks have been particularly challenging. People's heavy and insistent looks have become constant, like little bites that assail me throughout the day. It was not that way before. I now feel under constant surveillance.”
The Abaya in the Dock
To understand what is going on in Quebec, a short look back at the case that is currently inflaming the French media is necessary. At a press conference for the start of the school year, the French Minister of National Education, Gabriel Attal, described this dress — this is the literal translation of the term “abaya”, which can also refer to a coat — as Muslim religious clothing. He said that he had “no place” in French schools. This piece of clothing, which It is however not religious, is therefore now connoted as such, and any middle school and high school student (therefore aged 11 to 18 approximately) who wears it is exposed to a disciplinary sanction.
To understand the situation in France, let's start by explaining what a Abaya. Originally, it was a short, sleeveless coat that was worn regardless of gender or Religion, especially by the Bedouins. Today, the abaya is a long, loose dress that is popular in various regions, including North Africa and South West Asia. It is appreciated for its modesty and is worn mainly by women. It's available in a variety of colors and styles, and can even be found in collections from popular brands, like Zara And Dolce Gabbana.
In France, many members of the opposition have denounced what they describe as a political maneuver. This controversy would in fact make it possible to sweep fundamental problems under the carpet: shortage of teachers, precariousness of employment, overwork, underfunding of schools... The damage, however, is done: the French government has turned the cameras on 298 girls who showed up in abaya on the first day of school, representing 0.006 per cent of pupils***.
Thus, at the beginning of September, young women were welcomed by supervisors, teachers and school administrators who judged whether their dress was religious or not. In other words, the intention behind the length of their dress. By the way, young girls carrying jeans combined with a tight sweater accompanied by a kimono, of matching loose jumpsuits, or even a Outfit considered too dark, were refused entry to class.
What is the risk associated with such a measure, according to those who oppose it? The sociologist Hanane Karimi fears a drift towards discrimination based on facies or patronymic: “What we are not saying is that there is something ethno-cultural that is a strong indicator of how to assess whether it is an abaya or a long dress.”
Why would a French controversy resonate in Quebec?
Zeinab Diab is currently writing a thesis in religious studies at the Institute of Religious Studies of the University of Montreal on the effect of Bill 21 on Muslim women. The researcher believes that the measure against the abayas, enacted in the name of secularism, is likely to find an echo in Quebec.
Describing herself as “the child of Bill 101 and the adult of Bill 21,” Ms. Diab believes that neither Quebec nor France respect the principles of secularism.
“The first pillar of secularism is the separation of the State and the churches, and the autonomy of religious authorities in relation to political power, she recalls. From this follows the second principle, the neutrality of the State, which states that it must not directly or indirectly impose or hinder a religion, nor should it promote the interests of a majority or minority group. The third pillar: secularism should not be a constraint on religion, but rather a way of living one's faith. Finally, the fourth fundamental principle is the equal treatment of all citizens”, she lists.
In France, secularism was defined by The law of 1905. In Canada, it is rather through the mention of “freedom of worship” that appears in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms (article 2.a). And several cases of case law**** from the Supreme Court of Canada that deal with the various principles of secularism.
In 2004, during the introduction of the Law banning the wearing of religious symbols by students in France, a new form of secularism has emerged. For his part, the historian Jean Baubérot qualifies it as Falsified secularism. According to him, the spirit of the 1905 law is no longer respected, because the young people targeted are now asked to hide their religiosity. However, initially, this law was created to guarantee freedom of worship.
On the subject of the risks of drifting in Quebec, Ms. Diab believes that the province “is very inspired by France.” Then, she adds: “Through her minority situation (...), she tirelessly seeks to define herself. Therefore, it is distinguished in particular by its rejection of Canadian secularism, illustrated by Bill 21.”
It also draws attention to a revealing semantic particularity: in English, Law 21 is entitled” An Act Respecting the Laicity of the State ”. However, explains the researcher, the word”Laicity” is not common. Its use, here, is intended to differentiate it from”secularism” and to promote the new French-style secularism. “Thus, as in France, Quebec is defined by controlling internal minority populations, within the imaginary borders of what constitutes the Quebec nation.” She adds.
How is French anti-sailing legislation exported to La Belle Province?
To understand this phenomenon, we consulted Professor Roshan Jahangeer. His research focuses on the circulation of anti-sailing laws between France and Quebec.
According to her, “politicians, experts or journalists of great renown” travelled between the two countries to, in particular, advocate for the enactment of these laws or cover their application. A trend that is still ongoing, she believes.
In December 2013, for example, a meeting took place at the Élysée Palace in Paris between Pauline Marois, then leader of the Parti Québécois and Prime Minister of Quebec, and the French President at the time, François Hollande, and the French President at the time, François Hollande. Initially devoted to trade and the electrification of transport, the meeting quickly took a different turn when the subject of secularism was raised as part of the Charter of Quebec values.
François Hollande then affirms that” Secularism does not belong to France ”. On the contrary, he considers that “it is a principle, a value that we consider that we can share with other countries and that allows us to live together [...]. With Quebec, it is true that we also have common foundations that allow us to understand why we may be reaching the same results.” On the subject of this meeting, Pauline Marois also declares that she was “inspired” by the words of the French president.
Ms. Jahangeer also mentions the influence of commentators like Mathieu Bock-Côté — who wrote a Chronicle on the ban on the abaya. “[He] is a Quebec chronicler and a public figure whose influence is significant. He is currently based in France, which gives him his perspective on debates concerning secularism. His political opinions influence the Quebec public scene, where he is seen as a spokesperson for French-style secularism in Quebec,” she explains.
Moreover, Mathieu Bock-Côté and Pauline Marois use the same vocabulary and the same rhetoric as in France, despite a very different historical and socio-cultural context. We are thinking here of the influence of the Church in Quebec public life, an influence that persisted until the end of the 1960s, or of the question of Islamist movements, which are not established in Quebec as they are in France. However, notes the researcher, “terms like “living together”, “gender equality”, “gender equality”, “feminism”, “oppression”, “Islamism”, “progressive” always come up when discussing the subject of secularism in the two French-speaking nations.”
The academic also believes that it is by silencing Muslim women that we create a context conducive to the birth of laws that oppose the wearing of the veil — a constant observed in both territories. In France, “in talk shows, we frequently mention Muslim women wearing veils without giving them the opportunity to express themselves on set”, she notes.
The researcher Khaoula Zoghlami also analyzed the testimonies of Muslim women during the parliamentary consultations on Bill 21. Out of 36 participants, only 3 women identified as Muslims were able to express themselves. “The speaking time granted to these women who wear scarves represented only 4.4% of the total speaking time of the witnesses. The percentage drops to 0.6% if we count the speaking time of the only witness directly concerned with the application of the bill, namely Ms. Bouchra Chelbi, a high school teacher.” In return, the terms associated with Muslim women's clothing (hijab, niqab, hijab, niqab, veil, veil, headscarf and burqa) were repeated 296 times, representing 73.8% of all terms used to refer to religious symbols.
This table appears in Khaoula Zoghlami's study entitled Who can testify? Unwanted presence and speech under surveillance. It highlights the repetition of words meaning religious symbols during the parliamentary consultation.
However, is the scenario of a Quebec that prohibits the wearing of veils at school possible? “Quebec is already committed to this path,” says Ms. Jahangeer. It is a few years behind France, but it is nevertheless on the way to implementing restrictive secularism.”
For her part, Zeinab Diab believes that Quebec and France require Muslim women to remain invisible. “In the end, they are treated as second-class citizens,” says the Quebec woman, herself a Muslim and veiled woman.
Tensions in the Quebec school system
But, in the immediate future, what are the repercussions of the French controversy in the Quebec school system?
A mother reports that, on September 6, she was informed by Collège Citoyen, a private high school in Laval, that wearing the veil and other religious symbols would be prohibited starting on September 11. Students launched an online petition, which raised nearly 6,900 signatures, in order to denounce the fact that the management “[has] gone so far as to personally go to see students wearing veils and others carrying the cross to warn them that if they did not remove them by Friday 8 September, they would be expelled from school”.
The school Categorically deny to have prohibited the wearing of the veil. Management says the message has been misinterpreted and that their dress code has not changed since 2007. In a Press release issued On September 8, Collège Citoyen said it was the victim of a campaign that damaged its reputation. The management explains that parents must submit a request for an exemption to wear religious symbols, which the student's mother was not informed of. Other non-Muslim parents criticized this request for an exemption. The school director assured that students would not be excluded and organized open houses to answer parents' questions.
Ms. Diab considers this to be symptomatic. “This is a critical incident indicative of a fear that is increasingly taking hold in Muslim communities, given the political climate in Quebec, the enactment of Bill 21, and the fact that Quebec is inspired by French secularism and the social policies surrounding the control and discipline of Muslim women's bodies.”
Among the hundreds of comments made as part of this petition, we can clearly see that many signatories refuse secularism as currently applied in France.
How do Muslim women in Quebec experience all this
For Sarah, memories of that mid-September morning continue to haunt her. “The last two weeks [since this directive was announced] have been particularly challenging. People's heavy and insistent looks have become constant, like little bites that assail me throughout the day. It wasn't like that before, and suddenly I feel like I'm under constant surveillance,” she says. “[Before going out that day], I looked in the mirror and asked myself if something was wrong, if I should change my outfit, if I should go for something else. Then I said to myself, “Why am I thinking about this now? I have never felt this way before.” I usually get dressed and go out without much thought. And it was only a few minutes later, on my own street, that the assault took place.”
“Yes, it's fear, but at the same time, there's no guarantee that this kind of act won't happen. So I prefer to stay at home”, says the young woman.
Meriem*****, another young Quebec woman who has been wearing the hijab for a decade, is outraged: “It's a lot of frustration, a lot of anger at the absurdity of this directive [in France]. Even if I am not French, a community is like a body, and when one of the organs suffers, the whole suffers. I have been lucky to have not experienced anything since the September controversy, but I remain on my guard,” she explains.
She recalls her experience when Bill 21 was enacted. In a resigned tone, she says: “It's like being told to me: 'You are no longer a part of society. ' When Bill 21 was passed, I experienced a collapse coupled with societal rejection. If Law 21 made me feel that way, I can't even imagine the pain they're going through. ”
Shaheen Junaid, treasurer of the Montreal chapter of the Canadian Council of Muslim Women, for her part, expresses her exhaustion in the face of endless debates. “I am so tired of discussing what I put on my head rather than what I have in my head! ” she exclaims. The latter regrets the decisions of the CAQ government. She says she is convinced that Quebecers will end up feeling the repercussions of the abaya case. “We have the impression that it is an old trap: first France, then Quebec. Whatever they do, we have to do it, you know — it's like a younger brother following his elder.”
However, she encourages Muslim women not to give up. “Don't be afraid. It is your country. (...) You deserve to feel safe. You belong here no matter what the law says.”
“The abaya, a cocoon where I can be myself”
Here, in Quebec, Muslim women from Quebec are resisting this truncated secularism. Some, as a sign of solidarity with their French sisters, proudly wear abayas and kimonos in the last few days.
As France is embarking on a heated debate around the abaya and its meaning, we want to conclude by giving a voice to the women concerned. We share with you a testimony from a Muslim woman who participated in Zeinab Diab's research on the effect of Law 21. This woman expressed her feelings about the abaya several months ago, long before this outfit became the symbol of a divided Francophonie. Here is his testimony:
“Do we all know that feeling sometimes of not wanting to get dressed, of taking your time? That's when we opt for something simpler, like an abaya. Unfortunately, in public spaces, the simple act of wearing an abaya can now be associated with religious extremism and even terrorism. Going to the supermarket can sometimes seem like a threat, even for perfectly normal daily activities.
“For my part, (when I wear an abaya), I no longer experience this pressure to have to please and to adhere to pre-established physical beauty standards... Wearing the veil and loose clothing gives me great comfort. That means I don't have to worry about going on drastic diets. I don't need to match the stereotypes of the woman with the perfect body all the time, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. My choice of clothing gives me a feeling of comfort, a cocoon where I can simply be myself.”
*This person's name has been changed to protect their anonymity.
**This person's name has been changed to protect their anonymity.
***Figures based on official statistics for the start of the 2022 school year, see the second degree infographic here:
https://www.education.gouv.fr/l-education-nationale-en-chiffres-edition-2023-378943”
**** For example, R. v. Big M Drug Mart Ltd. (1985) (freedom of religion); Loyola High School v. Quebec (Attorney General), (2015 SCC 12) (state neutrality), etc.
*****This person's name has been changed to protect their anonymity.