Ensuring Equality Without Exception: A Case Study from Canada

Photo: Musawah

Alia Hogben, Executive Director of the Canadian Council of Muslim Women
Presentation at the Musawah Conference, Kuala Lumpur, February 2009

Thank you for including the Canadian Council of Muslim Women in this vital discussion of EQUALITY WITHOUT EXCEPTION.

Surprisingly, equality is a very misunderstood term. I describe it as:
Treating all people equally, while accepting their individuality.

It is not limited by gender, race or religion. It is about respect and dignity. It does not mean being the same or identical, as it is accepting of diversity amongst individuals. And it does not mean that women want to be like men.

Equality has to be substantive. Laws must ensure opportunities and choices for full participation, as a citizen, in the political, social and economic life of society.

It is an unequivocal value and must never be sidelined by the use of other concepts such as equity or complementariness. It is equality and no less.

The Canadian Council of Muslim Women is an organization of believing women, and our premise was "equality without exception" when we advocated for changes in our laws so that NO religious laws would be applied in family matters.

As we move towards clearer definitions for the concepts of "Sharia" and "Fiqh," I appeal to you to consider the same for the use of the divisive term of "Muslim world."

Defining certain parts of the world in such terms is no longer relevant nor accurate because it is:

• Unfair to the non-Muslim citizens who are minorities of countries, as it tends to erase them as equal citizens of their countries.
• It sidelines those of us who are minorities in Western countries, almost as if we don’t share similar values or issues as Muslims.

(contd..)

Download Alia Hogben's full speech (pdf)