Why we should stop fixating on what Muslim women wear

Banning burqas is a reflection of the colonial undercurrents that structure society.

A woman wearing a niqab poses during a protest by French Algerian businessman and political activist Rachid Nekkaz, in St. Gallen on October 3, 2018 following a massive vote in the Swiss northeastern canton of St. Gallen to prohibit all face-covering garments in public spaces. (Photo by Fabrice COFFRINI / AFP) (Photo credit should read FABRICE COFFRINI/AFP/Getty Images)

Quebec’s provincial government is preparing a new law to prevent public servants in positions of authority from wearing religious symbols. This includes judges, crown prosecutors, prison guards, police officers, and teachers from primary to high school.

Quebec is not alone in passing its “secularism law.” France, Belgium, Austria, Denmark, the Netherlands and some parts of Germany have all passed different laws, with different reasonings, aimed at controlling how Muslim women dress in public. Indeed, Quebec already has a law that bans covering one’s face when using public services and transportation.