NO to Quebec Provincial Bill 94

NO to Quebec Provincial Bill 94
Statement by No Bill 94 Coalition


Quebec Premier Jean Charest has proposed legislation which, if approved by the National Assembly of Quebec, would deny essential government services, public employment, educational opportunities, and health care to people who wear facial coverings. Bill 94 specifically targets Muslim women who wear the niqab (face veil). The bill is an exaggerated response to a manufactured crisis that will allow the government to deny women services to which they are entitled. A truly democratic society is one in which all individuals have the freedom of religious expression and a right to access public services.

Although touted as a step toward gender equality, Bill 94, if approved, will perpetuate gender inequality by legislating control over women’s bodies and sanctioning discrimination against Muslim women who wear the niqab. Instead of singling out a minuscule percentage of the population, government resources would be better spent implementing poverty reduction and education programs to address real gender inequality in meaningful ways. Barring any woman from social services, employment, health, and education, as well as creating a climate of shame and fear around her is not an effective means to her empowerment. If Premier Charest’s government is truly committed to gender equality it should foster a safe and inclusive society that respects a woman’s right to make decisions for herself. Standing up for women’s rights is admirable. “Rescuing” women is paternalistic and insulting. Further marginalizing Muslim women who wear niqab and denying them access to social services, economic opportunities and civic participation is unacceptable.

Forcing a woman to reveal part of her body is no different from forcing her to be covered. Both the federal Conservative and Liberal parties have expressed support for Bill 94, which raises the very real possibility that similar legislation will be proposed across Canada. We demand that Bill 94 be withdrawn immediately, as it has no place in a democratic state that values autonomy, liberty and justice.
No Bill 94 Coalition is made up of concerned individuals, organizations and grassroots movements that are demanding that the proposed Quebec legislation, Bill 94, be withdrawn immediately.

We invite all individuals and groups of conscience inside and outside of Quebec to publicly or privately endorse this statement by emailing their name(s), location (city, state/province, and country), and contact information to nonbill94@gmail.com. For more information please http://nonbill94.wordpress.com or join the facebook group at http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=115876751763202&ref=ts

Are We Equal? Muslim girls and boys in conversation

In 2008, Riverdale Immigrant Womens Centre (RIWC) in Toronto embarked on an exciting Healthy, Equal Relationship project for Muslim youth funded by the Ontario Womens Directorate for the 2008/09 school year. This initiative aimed to provide youth with the tools and opportunity to develop a deeper understanding of inequality, and to reduce inequality across genders among middle-school students.

The project resulted in a larger documentary called "Are we equal?: Muslim girls and boys in Conversation", which explores the relationships between Muslim boys and girls as well as issues such as racism, family, peer pressure, etc. that impact this gender dynamics.

This short film clip was directed by Sidrah Laldin

AQSAzine on the air

AQSAzine participated in a town hall meeting at CBC studios entitled moving beyond stereotypes of family violence in South Asian communities in the Greater Toronto Area.
http://www.cbc.ca/toronto/features/familyviolence/

Action Alert: Nazia Quazi

From the Coast http://www.thecoast.ca/RealityBites/archives/2010/03/19/canadian-government-indifferent-to-plight-of-woman-held-captive-in-saudi-arabia 

"A Canadian woman being held against her will in Saudi Arabia says the Canadian government is not taking her plight seriously.

Nazia Quazi was taken to Saudi Arabia by her father in November 2007. Because of that country’s archaic gender laws, women of any age are subject to male “guardianship.” In the 24-year-old Quazi’s case, her father has taken her passport, and refuses to sign an exit visa allowing her to leave the country…

Her family moved to Canada in 2001, although Quazi says her father has maintained a residence in Saudi Arabia, where he works for a bank, for 25 years. Quazi went to high school in Canada and became a citizen in 2005.

In 2007 she traveled on holiday to Dubai to visit her boyfriend. But when her parents learned of the trip, they flew to Dubai to intervene. Her father took her to India, and then to Saudi Arabia on a three-month visa. But, without her knowledge or consent, Quazi’s father changed the visa to a permanent visa.

Ever since, she says, she has been pleading with the Canadian embassy to intervene, but has gotten next to no response.

“When I try to contact them, I don’t get a positive response of any kind. They always say, ‘we’re still trying, we haven’t heard anything yet, but when we do we will let you know.’ There’s never a real straight-up answer to me, to my face. I’m just waiting for them to do something, waiting for something to happen.

…Citing privacy law, a spokesperson with the ministry of foreign affairs declined to comment specifically on Quazi’s case, but said the Canadian consulate in Saudi Arabia is aware of a Canadian citizen’s request for help and is “taking steps” to provide that help.

But a two-year-plus wait for resolution to Quazi’s case has raised accusations that the Harper government is not supportive of women generally"

Get involved:  If you’re Canadian, get involved in this Human Rights Watch campaign. If you’re not, you can still write a polite note to the Foreign Secretary to express your concern and urge prompt action:

The Honourable Lawrence Cannon
Minister of Foreign Affairs
House of Commons
Ottawa, Ontario
K1A 0A6
Email: Cannon.L@parl.gc.ca

Also, you can write the Saudi ambassador to the US:

Adel A. Al-Jubeir
Ambassador
Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia
601 New Hampshire Avenue
NW
Washington, DC 20037
press@saudiembassy.net

And to the Saudi Ambassador to Canada:

Mr. Asaad Al-Zuhair
Ambassador
Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia
99 Bank Street Suite 901, ,br/> Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, K1P 6B9

Join the ‘Help Nazia Quazi Come Back to Canada’ Facebook page to show your support and keep up with the latest developments"

Also Thea Lim has written a amazing article on Nazia check it out at  http://www.racialicious.com/2010/03/25/action-alert-nazia-quazi/. Thanks for the shout out Thea.

Read Your Poetry, Spoken Word, Prose at at Pride Toronto 2010

100% Halal Love

AQSAzine has been asked to host part of Proud Voices, Pride Toronto's Reading Stage on July 3rd from 2 pm - 3 pm.  We are looking for Muslim women and trans people who are interested in reading thier writing, prose, poetry and spoken word at the event. You can read one piece or more.

***You will recieve a small honarium and some swag for your performance.

Email us if you are interested at aqsazine at gmail.com

Come to the AQSAzine Writers Salon Feb 3!

Submission Deadline for AQSAzine Issue #3 My Islam is fast approaching

Want to submit to AQSAzine but nervous about your work? Come to our Writers Salon! Share your work and get peer support

Feb 3rd, at the Centre for Women and Trans People University of Toronto 563 Spadina Avenue, Room 100 6 -8 pm

AQSAzine Writers' Salon will be a opportunity for Muslim women and trans people to spend a evening together focusing on our writing and art. It will be a supportive environment in which we can provide one another with peer feedback and support to create stronger pieces for submission to AQSAzine Issue #3. Information on submission guidelines here http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/event.php?eid=196859307298&index=1

Please bring any form of writing, poetry or article you are interested in having in the zine. Even if you don't want to submit but want to share you work you are welecomed to attend.

Free event! TTC and food provided

The writers salon is open to Muslim women or trans people (16 -35). Whether you are practicing or non-practicing, culturally, politically, spiritually or religiously identify as a Muslim person, are Sunni, Shi’a, Ismaili, Ahmadiyya, Sufi, or another denomination. AQSAzine strives to work from an anti oppressive framework.

The AQSAzine Creative Workshop Series is sponsored by ArtReach Toronto www.artreachtoronto.ca. Workshops will be happening throughout2010. Look out for: spoken word, radio documentary, screenprinting, journalism & poetry workshops by and for US!

Create the Hype! AQSAzine FREE Journalism Workshop Feb 6th in Toronto

Feb 6th 11 - 4 pm. Email us aqsazine @ gmail.com  for location details!

The FREE Create the Hype Workshop in Toronto will provide Muslim women and trans people the opportunity share and build skills in creating our own media. It will include a discussion on the public media we consume, problems of representation and voice, and how we can create our own media.

Produce your own news story or other form of audio from start to finish: starting with developing a story idea and how to conduct an interview through to recording, editing and uploading it to a blog.

No technical or journalism experience required. Feel free to bring music, audio clips, newspaper articles or other source information for the workshop.

TTC, light lunch and materials provided!

Workshop open to Muslim women and trans people under 30. Space is limited please R.S.V.P by January 25th at aqsaworkshops@gmail.com

Get Skills In

•  introductory media analysis
• story development (including finding stories, identifying people or groups to speak with, determining your audience, etc)
• preparing for and conducting an interview (including designing questions)
• how to use a digital recorder
• transferring data to computers
•  basic digital editing and some multi-track editing
• how to upload content to a blog

Facilatator Bio: Sayyida Khatija has been involved in campus and community radio for over 5 years in Kingston, Ontario as a volunteer programmer and worker. She participated in social justice news collective, Groundswell, for 3 years, co-developed the current news collective, Alternative Frequency, and has also produced various programs focusing on race and racism. Sayyida is active in No One is Illegal, the AKA Autonomous Social Centre, and Islamic History Month in Kingston.

AQSAzine is a grassroots arts collective of 16-35 year old women and trans people who self-identify as Muslim. Our workshop series will be happening throughout 2010. Look out for: spoken word, radio documentary, screen printing, journalism, poetry workshops. The AQSAzine Workshop Series is sponsored by ArtReach Toronto http://www.artreachtoronto.ca/

Cannot attend the workshops but want to participate? Submit to AQSAzine Issue #3 http://aqsazine.blogspot.com/2009/12/submit-to-aqsazine-issue-3-my-islam.html

Peace, love and hugs

AQSAzine Team