An HEC Montreal ad featuring a woman wearing a hijab sparked the ire of former Parti Québécois leader Jean-François Lisée, who strongly condemned the initiative on Twitter. The position of the ex-politician is however not shared by two trained lawyers, both of Muslim faith, consulted by The duty.
The digital advertising broadcast by the institution promotes an international program that allows you to start a baccalaureate in Algiers and finish it in Montreal while obtaining two diplomas. The short text is topped with a photo of a smiling young woman wearing a hijab.
In a Twitter post shared dozens of times, the former politician and now columnist at the To have to Jean-François Lisée denounces in virulent terms advertising. “HEC Montreal chose a misogynistic religious sign (meaning modesty and submission of women) to recruit female students from Algeria, he denounces. Notice to young Algerian women who are trying to resist pressure from imams and fundamentalists: HEC Montreal is not your ally. »
HECMontreal chose a misogynistic religious sign (meaning modesty and submission of women) to recruit female students from Algeria.
Notice to young Algerian women who are trying to resist the pressure of Imams and fundamentalists: @MBA_HECMontreal is not your ally. pic.twitter.com/1BwElbZxMl— Jean-François Lisée (@JFLisee) August 7, 2022
“I have no objection to university students wearing signs of conviction, whether religious, political, social or ecological,” he explained in a telephone interview. “What is unacceptable is that a public institution by definition secular, pro-scientific and committed to the work of equality between men and women chooses to normalize a misogynistic religious sign in an advertisement”, adds -he.
Symbol of emancipation?
Holder of a master’s degree in international law from the University of Quebec in Montreal and author of the essay Misunderstandingswhich addresses the relationship between feminism and religion, Dania Suleman does not see the hijab with the same eye.
“At this point, so many women [qui le portent] were able to demonstrate their autonomy and the fact that it can be a feminist symbol. For some, it was even a medium towards their personal emancipation,” she notes. The one now based in New York reminds us that “anything” can become a symbol of emancipation. “Some women wear the hijab by choice, and it makes them feel much more free. »
Reasons for wearing a hijab vary and shouldn’t all be lumped together, she insists. ” It is voluntary [de la part de M. Lisée] not to want to legitimize the words of women who wear the hijab as a symbol of feminist emancipation, she adds. And that’s sad, because it continues to alienate women who wear the veil. »
She considers that the attitude of Mr. Lisée, a man who gives only “one meaning to the veil”, is “completely patriarchal and infantilizing, as if he is putting himself in a position of authority over Muslim women. “.
Mr. Lisée affirms for his part that he is a feminist and that his position is just as much: “Each time that a public institution normalizes the wearing of the hijab, what it is saying is “A good Muslim, that’s it, and if you don’t wear it, you’re a bad Muslim.” »
Hijab and diversity
Holder of a master’s degree in law from McGill University and co-founder of the social impact agency UENA, Shahad Salman is not surprised by Mr. Lisée’s opinion of what she considers to be progress societal. “I see his opinion as a bit classic. As long as we have innovations, we will have this type of reaction, ”said the one who works in particular with organizations wishing to make their governance more inclusive.
She also sees HEC advertising in a very good light. “Today, in 2022, there are more and more institutions and private companies that are facing a labor shortage and that will make sure to diversify and cast a wider net in their pool of candidates. »
Betting on diversity isn’t just about economics, she says. “We understand that connecting to a diversity of people is good for the institution and for the people who make it up. “.
For his part, Jean-François Lisée firmly believes that HEC should withdraw the ad and broadcast another one with “a woman who looks like an Algerian woman unveiled”. “I think this precedent is important, because in the rest of Canada it is now the norm; the normalization of the hijab as a symbol of diversity,” he laments.
HEC Montréal declined our interview request, but its senior media relations advisor, Émilie Novales, sent us a written statement. This confirms that the woman in advertising is a “student with an international background” and that the institution welcomes “a growing number of international students” each year.
“The future management leaders that we train are able to embody the ideal of the values of benevolence, tolerance and openness that are dear to us, and this, everywhere in the world, writes Ms.me Novales. We want all members of our student community to be showcased on our platforms, reflecting all of our diversity. »