Quebec teacher Fatemah Anvari
Tis the season for the Annunciation, the story told in Luke's gospel of the angel Gabriel and his appearance to the young Mary with startling news that she will give birth to Jesus. This intimate scene was a favourite of Medieval and Renaissance painters. As often as not Mary is portrayed as an elegant woman in regal blue, and as often as not she has a head covering.
There is a disturbing irony that Mary, a focus of this time of year, wouldn't be eligible for employment in the province of Quebec. I can't imagine that the BVM (Blessed Virgin Mary) would want a job as a civil servant in Quebec but she wouldn't pass the criteria of Bill 21 which prohibits wearing any sort of religious headdress.
Student drawing supporting Fatemah Anvari
You may have seen that last week a teacher named Fatemah Anvari was taken out of the classroom in Chelsea, Quebec, because she wears a hijab related to her Muslim faith. It doesn't matter that she was hired because of her proficiency as a substitute teacher or that she is loved by her students. If she was wearing a head scarf as a fashion statement it would be allowed but she can't display modesty based on her faith.Anvari says the hijab is part of her identity:
Yes, I am Muslim, but for me, [the hijab] holds other meanings of just my identity and how I've chosen to represent myself as a strong person in a world that may not want me to be myself.But it's still a religious symbol at the end of the day, so that's why it has a conflict with the law.
During last Fall's federal election campaign party leaders tripped over their own tongues claiming that Quebec was not racist and neither Trudeau nor O'Toole have shown any gumption with this situation. It's good to see that parents and students are stepping forward with the green ribbon campaign to support Anvari in the midst of this injustice regarding freedom of religious expression.
Annunciation -- Botticelli
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