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Speaking Out Against the Sharia in Canada Chantelle McGee Staff Contributor
PQ: “Minority rights ignore individual rights within that minority.” – Homa Arjomand, Canadian coordinator for the International Campaign Against Sharia Court
Imagine you are an Ontario woman, getting a divorce from your husband. Because divorce is a civil dispute, you are encouraged to have your divorce settled by an arbitrator from your religious community, in accordance with Ontario’s 1991 Arbitration Act. Imagine too that you are Muslim, and the Sharia, the justice system inspired by the Qur’an, is used to settle your case. Some interpretations of the Sharia conflict with Canada’s Charter of Rights and Freedoms, including the Charter’s guarantee for equality of the sexes. As such, you could lose your property, children and financial support. On Feb. 4 at the Dalhousie Law School, Homa Arjomand, the Canadian coordinator for the International Campaign Against Sharia Court, spoke about the dangers for minority and women’s rights in Ontario’s Arbitration Act. She recalled her own experiences as a women’s rights activist in Iran and Canada, as well as cases, like the one described above, of women who she is currently helping. Though the Arbitration Act recognises Canada’s multiculturalism, Arjomand explained that it also segregates cultural communities and overlooks the rights of specific individuals in those groups. “Minority rights ignore individual rights within that minority,” she said, noting that social pressure often forces people to undertake religious arbitration against their will. The result? Two sets of laws for some Canadians. Instead, Arjomand is campaigning for “one law for all, no matter where you came from.” Arjomand told of a woman who had called the police because of her abusive husband. When the police came, they saw a Muslim family. Instead of intervening, the police officer’s response was something to the effect of, “In Canada, we don’t beat our wives, though I can see that it is okay in your culture to do so.” Arjomand pointed out that this form of multicultural sensitivity is what makes the Arbitration Act controversial. Instead of making people choose between human rights and their faith, Arjomand believes that religion should be removed from the justice system altogether. Arjomand said the Sharia is archaic, belonging to a society that existed 1200-1300 years ago and ignoring the hard-fought rights and equality earned by modern women. She worries that those who must subscribe to the Sharia do not have the money for legal services, whereas richer people could use the public legal system instead. To correct this imbalance, Arjomand is on a mission to “shout to the government” that “… one nation should obey one law, no matter what.” |