Letter to Editor written to @TorontoStar (Unpublished)
I never truly appreciated how much power lay in the words of a political figure, until recently; I see time and again how people are influenced by Donald Trump’s outbursts of hate and bigotry. All it takes is one ignorant comment by one ignorant person, to set a wave in motion; a wave of hatred, intolerance and fear.
Recently, Laurence Rossignol, France’s Minister of Families, Children and Women’s Rights, stated ignorantly that Muslim women who veil can be likened to “slaves”. Whether these comments were made to progress her political platform or whether she truly believe that a woman who chooses to cover herself is a “slave”, there is no room for such ignorance in a world that is already fighting a brutal battle against bigotry. If anyone were to ask me, or the thousands of Muslim women who choose to veil, refusing to fall victim to a society who time and again reaffirms that a woman’s value is based on her sexuality and physical appearance, is truly the personification of strength. It takes great courage to cover yourself in a society where uncovering yourself is applauded. It takes unparalleled bravery to veil in a world full of hate and intolerance towards Muslims. Muslim women who veil, are more empowered and liberated from society’s grasp, than many people know. We are not “slaves”; we are brave, courageous women who want nothing more than to be respected, dynamic and contributing members of society without having to compromise our ideals.
In a world where women are constantly objectified and made to feel that their worth is based on how they look, Laurence Rossignol, who should be defending women's rights, should not, of all people, be telling women what or what not to wear.
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