By Sarah Barmak
Debate about Muslim integration in Canada has been back in the headlines, bolstered by stories hinging on perceived conflicts between Muslim communities and Canadian society, especially when it comes to the status of women.
But according to law professor Natasha Bakht, such discussions grossly simplify the issues. The editor of Belonging and Banishment: Being Muslim in Canada, a new collection of essays by commentators such as Toronto Star columnist Haroon Siddiqui and sociology professor Carmela Murdocca, Bakht argues the problems are more complex, partly because the Muslim community is far from the unified group the media makes it out to be.
The Star's coverage of eight Muslim women who alleged their employer discriminated against them by requiring they hike their skirts above the knee over their pants for safety reasons is just one story that has provoked heated discussion recently. So have others about the so-called "honour killing" of Toronto teen Aqsa Parvez; the debate over girls wearing the hijab during sports; and "veiled voting" legislation.
The Star spoke with Bakht about the status of women in Islam, integration in Canada, and whether there is a single Muslim identity. Read more ...
Debate about Muslim integration in Canada has been back in the headlines, bolstered by stories hinging on perceived conflicts between Muslim communities and Canadian society, especially when it comes to the status of women.
But according to law professor Natasha Bakht, such discussions grossly simplify the issues. The editor of Belonging and Banishment: Being Muslim in Canada, a new collection of essays by commentators such as Toronto Star columnist Haroon Siddiqui and sociology professor Carmela Murdocca, Bakht argues the problems are more complex, partly because the Muslim community is far from the unified group the media makes it out to be.
The Star's coverage of eight Muslim women who alleged their employer discriminated against them by requiring they hike their skirts above the knee over their pants for safety reasons is just one story that has provoked heated discussion recently. So have others about the so-called "honour killing" of Toronto teen Aqsa Parvez; the debate over girls wearing the hijab during sports; and "veiled voting" legislation.
The Star spoke with Bakht about the status of women in Islam, integration in Canada, and whether there is a single Muslim identity. Read more ...
Source: The Star
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