A 29-year-old Muslim woman has once again been expelled from a government-sponsored French course for refusing to remove her niqab.
The woman, an Egyptian immigrant referred to only as Naema, dropped a French course at Cegep St-Laurent last fall after she was told to remove the veil, which covers her face.
She then enrolled in a different government-sponsored French course for immigrants and continued to wear her niqab, but acting on complaints from teachers, immigration officials again expelled her.
"There is no ambiguity on this question. If you want to (participate) in our classes, if you want to integrate into Quebec society here, our values are we want to see your face," said Immigration Minister Yolande James.
Naema told TVA reporters she is trying to fit in and hoped to use her language instruction to find work as a pharmacist, but feels she was humiliated.
The woman filed a complaint with Quebec's human rights commission, citing a violation of her freedom of religion.
"Our society should not be afraid of a woman wearing a niqab or a woman practicing her religion," said Salam Elmenyawi, president of the Muslim Council of Montreal.
Naema also needs to accommodate by adjusting to her adopted culture the interest of harmony, said Elmenyawi.
