There State Secularism Actwhich in particular prohibits teachers from wearing religious symbols, has had the effect of exacerbating the feeling of being a victim of racism among mothers from the Maghreb community, observed a researcher as part of her master’s research project.
A student in Education Sciences at the University of Montreal, Hana Zayani was interested in what mothers of North African origin experienced in schools after the adoption of Law 21 in 2019. She presented his results on Monday as part of the 90e Acfas convention, which is taking place in Montreal this week.
The ten women – half of whom wear the veil – have children who attend public schools in Montreal. They took part in structured interviews.
While all the participants affirmed from the outset that integrating their children into school was not difficult, they observed from their experiences that “racism in Quebec seems to be subtle and indirect”.
“Law 21 has greatly impacted their relationship with the school,” says Hana Zayani. Women, she says, have reported experiencing more situations of so-called “ordinary” racism after the adoption of this law, racism that generally comes from adults.
Ordinary racism is “subtle racism”, explains Mme Zayani. “We have the impression that it is racism, but we have no proof. These are, for example, long waiting times [pour obtenir un service]. Daycare educators who watch more students than others, ”she illustrates.
From their experiences at school, mothers observe that “parents do not accept that their children invite immigrants to their parties”. Another says that she had to explain at length to another parent the reasons why she wears the veil. “Because I cover my hair, it’s equal to an oppressed woman, equal to a woman who has no rights, that’s automatically it,” she told the researcher.
To protect their children, but also themselves, women have testified that they have decided to use a name other than their own.
If they do, it’s “because it’s the only sign of their belonging. Giving yourself another name makes them go unnoticed,” explains the student at the Université de Montréal.
Others decide to take off their veil, like Sonia who, “in the process of divorcing […] will not [que ses enfants] also suffer from discrimination at school due to the fact that their mother wears a veil”, writes the researcher in her master’s thesis.
On Bill 21, some participants felt that it particularly targeted Muslim women and expressed their incomprehension to see, for example, religious signs elsewhere in schools.
One mother said she “understands that some parents are afraid of having their children influenced”. “I want to say that it is very legitimate on their part and I understand”, but like others, she nevertheless fears that this law “presents a first step towards a firm secularism like that of France”.
Tunisian of origin, herself veiled, Hana Zayani is currently pursuing a doctorate which will look at what Muslim students experience in Quebec public schools.