Mysteries of the hijab unveiled

McGill doctoral candidate Osire Glacier told a group of Ile Bizard residents too much attention is focused on perceived human rights abuses of veiled Muslin women while more serious violations go unreported in Western media during a presentation at the Ile Bizard Library yesterday evening.

"If only the West was as outraged about the violation of fundamental rights of all world citizens," said Glacier.

For example, she said, in 2006 Amnesty International published a report that highlighted how several democratic countries opposed to the use of torture, including Canada, allowed American airplanes to fly prisoners on their air space as they transported them to countries where torture is allowed.

"No country, no municipality, no mayor stood up to condemn the Canadian government's participation in human rights violations," said Glacier.

Having just concluded a thesis on the origins of the concept of international human rights, Glacier focused in her presentation on the portions of her research about the hijab or Muslim headscarf.

One tidbit Glacier uncovered was that, according to the investigations of prominent Canadian Muslim scholar Sajida Alvi, many Muslim women who wear the hijab say that "it is as an instrument of liberation, not as a tool of oppression," in order to free themselves from male aggression.

Over the course of her speech, Glacier highlighted how media coverage of the headscarf is somewhat disproportionate. "There was so much debate about allowing wearing the headscarf in public schools in France a few years ago," she said, whereas statistics show only about one per cent of Muslim women in France wear the veil. "Why so much controversy over a small, conservative minority of the population?" She asked.

It was a calm evening, with several of the 20-odd members of the audience asking her questions afterward but no tempers rising. As Glacier is a photographer as well, some of her work was displayed for people to see.

"I wanted to have a conference on something that would lead to some debate," said librarian Sophie David on why she chose this particular subject and guest.

Debate did indeed occur during the question period. "I feel like we're at an impasse," said one man to Glacier, commenting that he just does not see how Muslim nations and the West will ever be able to get along.

Another questioner said it was a mistake for Muslim countries not to unilaterally condemn the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the U.S.A. "It's after 9/11 that relationships really got worse," he said.

"I don't think we're at an impasse," Glacier responded, stating the only way to get over strained relations is to reach out via dialogue and educate people on both sides of the divide.