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Canadian judge tells woman to remove hijab or leave courtroom

Judge Eliana Marengo was speaking to Rania El-Alloul, whose car was impounded after her son was caught driving it with a suspended licence. In Quebec a vehicle used by a driver with a suspended licence can be impounded for thirty days.

However, the owner can appeal to get it back earlier and that is what Ms. El-Alloul was in the Montreal courtroom to do.

“Hats and sunglasses for example, are not allowed,” the CBC said that Judge Marengo can be heard saying on the tape. “And I don’t see why scarves on the head would be either.

“The same rules need to be applied to everyone,” Judge Marengo added. “I will therefore not hear you if you are wearing a scarf on your head, just as I would not allow a person to appear before me wearing a hat or sunglasses on his or her head, or any other garment not suitable for a court proceeding.”

Ms. El-Alloul told media she has no intention of taking off the hijab, something many Muslim women will not do except at home in the presence of family. She said she became a citizen of the country wearing her hijab and that being asked to take it off in court is disturbing to her.

The CBC quoted Ms. El-Alloul:

“When I came the first day when I made landing in Canada, I was wearing my hijab,” she said. “When I swore by God to be a good Canadian citizen I was wearing my hijab, and the judge, I shook hands with him the same day I became Canadian. I was really very happy. But what happened in court made me feel afraid. I felt that I’m not Canadian anymore.”

The previous Quebec government, the Parti Quebecois, crafted a bill designed to prevent the wearing of religious head coverings, such as the hijab or the Jewish skull cap, by public servants in the province. The PQ was defeated in last year’s provincial election and the bill died.

Her case was adjourned indefinitely by Judge Marengo and it seems she will not be getting her car back until the thirty days are up.

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