By Peggy Curran, The Gazette
A delegation of 70 feminists — priests and rabbis, people of faith and non-believers — sent an open letter to Premier Pauline Marois Thursday, condemning the proposed charter of Quebec values as an attack on rights women so fought hard to get.
“We have no desire to go backwards,” says the letter endorsed by the group who call themselves “Women who Believe in Women.”
Drawn from Protestant, Catholic, Muslim, Jewish and other faiths, the women who signed the letter said they “recognize the difficult battles that women are fighting throughout the world to establish their rightful and equal place in human society” and are sympathetic with “all women who have suffered because of the inequalities they have experienced in their churches, synagogues or mosques.”
But they say women have fought long and hard for equal treatment, especially when it comes to control over their bodies.
Diane Rollert, the minister at the Unitarian Church on de Maisonneuve Blvd. wrote the first draft of the letter, because she was seriously concerned by the kind of remarks put forward by the “Janettes,” who support the charter.
“I understand why some women of that generation may be angry at religion. But to presume your experience is a reason to take rights away from other women floored me,” said Rollert, who soon rallied other ministers, rabbis and spiritual leaders to the cause.
Shaheen Ashraf of the Canadian Council of Muslim Women, rabbi Lisa Grushcow and ministers Ros MacGregor and Rev. Gwenda Wells worked with her to refine the letter together, with translation by Geneviève Demers.
In the letter, the women express particular concern over the way the charter has targeted Muslim women.
“By legislating a woman’s right to dress as her conscience dictates, you are taking away her fundamental right to control her own body. By forcing her to choose between her work and her faith you are ensuring that she will be marginalized, not liberated.
“Far from bringing equality to women, the ban privileges Muslim men over Muslim women and Sikh women over Sikh men.
“Given your argument that banning the hijab will liberate women who are dominated by men, shouldn’t we outlaw miniskirts, breast implants and high heels as well? In our experience, changing the way a woman dresses is not the key to her freedom.
“Instead, as so many studies have shown, societies do better when women have equal rights to education, public expression and employment. Yet your ban would take these rights away from the very women you claim you seek to help. This would be a sad and unfortunate step backwards.”
Go here can read the full text, or add your name to the list:
http://www.croire-en-la-femme.org/english-version/
Twitter: peggylcurran
