What is it with Quebec and the hijab?

CTV.ca

Quote:

A Quebec taekwondo team consisting mainly of Muslim girls withdrew from a tournament after they were barred from taking part while wearing their hijabs.

"I feel very sad because we practised so hard," 11-year-old Bissan Mansour, who wears a hijab, told The Canadian Press on Sunday. "We pulled out for a useless reason."

The team has been practicing the Korean martial art for three years, and some members have won medals in competition. The team said on Sunday the hijabs -- which five of its six team members wear underneath their helmets -- have never been a problem until now.

Right before the competition in Longueuil, the team said a referee told them to either remove their hijabs or leave the tournament.

"In the past few years we used to compete, and there was no problem," team coach Medhi Sbeiti told CTV Montreal. "What's the problem this year?"

International referee Stephane Menard said on Sunday that the decision was made for safety reasons, and that it came out of a referees' meeting in Longueuil earlier in the day.

Menard told CP that the hijab isn't included under the equipment allowed under World Tae Kwon Do Federation rules.

"We applied the rules to the letter," he said.

The fear is that part of the hijab could come loose during a about. Taekwondo involves kicks and throws.

The team is made up of six girls between eight and 12 years old, and is affiliated with a Muslim community centre in Montreal.

Team member Batoul Atwi told CTV Montreal that she was angry and disappointed after she and her teammates were sidelined at the Raymond Mourad tournament.

Tournament founder Raymond Mourad said he wanted officials to let the Muslim girls compete this time, but his pleas were ignored.

"They should have let them fight," Mourad told CTV Montreal. The girls withdrew following the decision. A boys team from the same centre also withdrew. The $35 tournament fee each member paid was reimbursed.

Tournament founder Raymond Mourad wanted the officials to let them compete, but he couldn't sway them.

"The kids who came today, we could have let them compete and warned them for next time," Mourad said.

Other controversies

Sunday's incident marks the second time in recent months the hijab has been the centre of controversy at an amateur sporting event in Quebec involving pre-teens.

In February, an 11-year-old Muslim girl from Ottawa was asked to remove her hijab at a soccer tournament in Laval, north of Montreal, due to safety concerns. She refused and her team pulled out of the tournament.

And a Montreal Muslim woman recently complained that she was forced to choose between her hijab and a job as a prison guard. Authorities also cited safety concerns in that case.

Debate over "reasonable accommodation" of racial, cultural and religious minorities surfaced several times during the Quebec election campaign.

It has become such a hot-button issue that Premier Jean Charest has former a committee to study it.

First the soccer incident and now this. Why is it that none of the other provinces has a issue with the hijab but Quebec does?

Jam it back in, in the dark.

Well, they are pretty French.

There's nowhere I can't reach.

I think this is a valid fucking concern. As someone who plays football and does martial arts, a hijab is a dangerous item. There's a reason we're not allowed to wear chains (be they dangling a crucifix or otherwise) when we do these sports. Hands get caught, fingers get caught, people get hurt. Free enough to play footie? Free enough to pull your hair back in a ponytail like everybody else for 90 minutes.

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

Like I said with the football incident, religious dressings are accessories and are not part of sporting uniforms. Out of interest of safety for the individual and the other players these sort of things should not be aloud. This includes dressings or garbs and jewerly in the form of a golden jesus in an electric chair jesus on a cross or other religious symbols and attire.

How ya doing, buddy?

Maybe if they just nationalized their French asses then I could have a half-decent cereal box without any French on it for once in my life. They sometimes seem to go beyond the limits of "preserving French Heritage" just to be different it seems.

As far as the hijabs, I think if the Christians have to take off their crosses and I have to take off my watch to play sports, they can part with the hijab for five minutes, Allah will forgive them.

I was speaking idiomatically.

Originally Posted by Denicalis

I think this is a valid fucking concern. As someone who plays football and does martial arts, a hijab is a dangerous item. There's a reason we're not allowed to wear chains (be they dangling a crucifix or otherwise) when we do these sports. Hands get caught, fingers get caught, people get hurt. Free enough to play footie? Free enough to pull your hair back in a ponytail like everybody else for 90 minutes.

Quoted for truth. The same thing applies to the soccer incident.

Originally Posted by J-Man

Maybe if they just nationalized their French asses then I could have a half-decent cereal box without any French on it for once in my life. They sometimes seem to go beyond the limits of "preserving French Heritage" just to be different it seems.

Can we lay off the French hating?

How ya doing, buddy?

Originally Posted by Mucknuggle

Quoted for truth. The same thing applies to the soccer incident.

(football = soccer)

Quote:

Can we lay off the French hating?

I share some of the sentiment. On the one hand, I would love to see Quebec move into the 21st century and actually act like part of a country, instead of thinking they are somehow above the rest of the nation. Distinct, yes. Separate? No. Quebec can't survive without Canada, despite what they may say. On the other hand, taking away multi-lingualism from Canada? It's part of what makes this country great. Stupid idea.

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Originally Posted by Denicalis

(football = soccer)

I know that. I was agreeing with you. Dude, I've been a football/soccer referee for 7 years. I know the terminology.

What, you don't want my bikini-clad body?

Instead of hating Quebec(or the french), why not hate retards who can't read/understand the fucking rules of the game?

OH I CAN'T WEAR MY TURBAN WHILE PLAYING HOCKEY U R DISCRIMINATEWAHWAHWAH!

Jam it back in, in the dark.

oh pLEASE. When immigrants come to a country, they should count themselves lucky. We are ALLOWING them to come; therefore, they must abide certain rules. It's maybe because québec noticed it that it gets in the news more often. Don't forget than not so long ago, judges ruled that there wouldn't be any islamic tribunals rules by the sharia. is that racism?

Soccer and taekwando have international rules. I had to put off my little golden chain when I did karate; i survived

There's nowhere I can't reach.

I can see the whole safety issue, but when it comes to these stories about girls having to remove their hijab or leave (insert activity here), is always in Quebec, is Quebec the only province that is concerned with this or is it something that the rest of the country dosn't pay attention to.

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

Well, let's be fair, rural Quebec is more racist than mainstream Quebec (see recent elections), and even mainstream Quebec can be pretty fucking block headed about things (see separatism). However, their dumbfuckery sometimes leads to making a good call about when PC bullshit goes too far (see hijab removal).

I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?

In regards to Quebec and its'.. ever aggressive laws, they just announced Quebec has decided to remove all English programs from it's universities, including English business etc..

They really do make it difficult to like them =/, especially on the whole language issue *aka trying to shove french down the throats of everyone*

I was speaking idiomatically.

Originally Posted by Garret

In regards to Quebec and its'.. ever aggressive laws, they just announced Quebec has decided to remove all English programs from it's universities, including English business etc..

They really do make it difficult to like them =/, especially on the whole language issue *aka trying to shove french down the throats of everyone*

Of course you know what this means right? Students who were planning to take those classes, like English Language Studies, now have to curse @ the Providence in French.

And on the Hijab thing, I had to google to see what exactly that was, and I agree that wearing that while practicing Tae Kwon Boe (Or another Martial Art or Physical Contact Sport) would be dangerous to both the Player and to others around them. Same reason why players of professional sporting leagues remove jewelry.

What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?

Originally Posted by Garret

In regards to Quebec and its'.. ever aggressive laws, they just announced Quebec has decided to remove all English programs from it's universities, including English business etc..

They really do make it difficult to like them =/, especially on the whole language issue *aka trying to shove french down the throats of everyone*

What? Link? I haven't heard about this.

FELIPE NO

I can see the issue here. the hijab in a way could give you an unfair advantage by not allowing your opponent to read your body language. Besides that, they're just bitching and complaining because they were allowed to get away with it before.. In other words the refs weren't reinforcing the rules.. now the referees are anti-muslim... give me a break. The rules exist for a purpose.

What, you don't want my bikini-clad body?

josée legault, a famous french columnist, had this thought: have the girls in the competition worn this veil ON THEIR OWN? Don't tell me that girls this young know everything there is behind the hijab

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Well, let's be fair, rural Quebec is more racist than mainstream Quebec (see recent elections),

agreed for the rural part (although i haven't heard of heinous crimes in rural quebec), but the lectoral one is bullshit. The ADQ is far from being racist, it only pleades that "reasonal accomodations" have gone too far

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especially on the whole language issue

true. when '"french language groups" lack attention, they pleade for a reinforcment of laws or a "just" financing of schooling (proportional to the english population %)

Jam it back in, in the dark.

Originally Posted by Mucknuggle

What? Link? I haven't heard about this.

I heard it on the Radio about 6:45am, on 93.9, Wednesday April 18. They also mentioned that the Prof's, whom were outraged about it, were going to try and start a college specifically for English Business, but thats about all I can recall.

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true. when '"french language groups" lack attention, they pleade for a reinforcment of laws or a "just" financing of schooling (proportional to the english population %)

I don't have a personal problem with the French language itself, just the way the groups in Quebec enforce it, and how the Canadian government allows it. If Quebec wish's to try and preserve French, thats fine, but the fact that they want the other 85% of the english speaking population to compensate and suffer for them, while giving NOTHING in return *ie language police, this new bit of news about no more english business etc..*, is just stupid. It will be interesting to see what happens when they ruling disappears *i forget what it was called... but it basically gave Quebec the right to pull this stuff off*. Like it or not, French is a dying language, in NA and Europe. As i said before, if you want to preserve it fine, but do not shove it down everyone's throat.

This is kinda getting off topic though, although it does relate and give example to Quebec and it's harsh rules.

How ya doing, buddy?

Originally Posted by Digital_Divider

I can see the issue here. the hijab in a way could give you an unfair advantage by not allowing your opponent to read your body language.

Can you please explain exactly how a hijab gives an unfair advantage? It looks more like a hassle to me. In fact, I would venture to say that it reduces the girl's field of view and lessens her sense of hearing.
Additionally, the article mentions that most of the girls wear a hijab under their helmets. I really cannot see any unfair advantage there.

Perhaps it would make sense to make new rules enforcing that all people with head gear must wear helmets? Why does one need helmets anyway for taekwondo? Is it really that violent?

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Originally Posted by Phoque le PQ

agreed for the rural part (although i haven't heard of heinous crimes in rural quebec), but the lectoral one is bullshit. The ADQ is far from being racist, it only pleades that "reasonal accomodations" have gone too far

Oh come on. You're talking about a party that had to warn several of its members that if they spoke out against muslims publically, they would be censured. The ADQ isn't the Bloq, that's for sure, but they're still a step towards separatism and isolationism, which have long been Quebec's biggest problems.

I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?

Originally Posted by Denicalis

You're talking about a party that had to warn several of its members that if they spoke out against muslims publically, they would be censured

.
are you sure it's the right party?

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The ADQ isn't the Bloq, that's for sure, but they're still a step towards separatism and isolationism, which have long been Quebec's biggest problems.

it's just a continuation of what premiers like Lesage and Bourassa had wanted; not separation there

I was speaking idiomatically.