The fact is that the current mainstream narrative pertaining to Islam and Muslims, particularly hair coverings (hijab) or face coverings (niqab), is just so downright poisonous and negative that it is hardly possible anymore to have a nuanced, meaningful discussion on the topic.
In the case before the Supreme Court now stands the question of whether a veil-wearing Muslim woman should be allowed to testify in court with the niqab remaining on. The defence posits that they need to read her facial features, since the eyes are insufficient alone. I wonder if this means Muslim women with veils cannot be lawyers or judges, an idea abhorrent to any lawyer or judge.
It just so happens I know this woman personally I will say nothing else because of the publication ban that prevents identifying her in any way. I can reiterate the allegations: that the woman alleges she was sexually assaulted when still very young. After years of torment, she finally decided to bring the matter before the courts.
It is a full and complete travesty that this case has been made out to be about the face covering and not about the sexual abuse this woman alleges she suffered. It is a travesty because this woman has come out against all odds, against the threat of being "shamed" by her community, against the monumental pressures of having to testify against these alleged attackers, and we have fixated on the dress of the woman making the complaint.
Forget about the fact that one of the biggest responsibilities we have is to encourage marginalized women to come forward with these complaints so we can bring to bear the full force of law in her protection. Forget about the fact that some victims of sexual assault don't necessarily see the alleged attacker when testifying in court. Canadian courts can extend two options: a physical screen where the face is covered, or the alleged victim testifies via video link. She could be wearing a clown suit for all we know -- her face would never be shown anyway.
So why the big deal? Obviously, this plays into the larger debate (persecution some would say) of Muslim women and religious head coverings. Shamelessly, many have joined the "ban them" bandwagon as if to say we respect only your rights when you look and dress like "us." The negativity is so great that a New York woman who alleges she was attacked because she wore the full face covering was met with comments akin to "She asked for it."
Are Muslim women being portrayed so lowly that they don't even deserve the same treatment as non-Muslim victims of sex assault? Did she "deserve it" because she covers? Should we force her to uncover herself just to prove to us how traumatized she really is?
These are not the questions we need to be asking. In fact, we only need to ask one question: when does she get her day in court?