Procedure and House Affairs committee  My name is Alia Hogben. I'm the executive director of the Canadian Council of Muslim Women. It is most unfortunate that the apparent confusion of the Chief Electoral Officer, Parliament, and this committee—including that concerning the recent 2007 bill regarding photo ID and oth

Procedure and House Affairs committee  I'm sorry, I'm going to disagree with my friend Raheel. I don't think there are only 300 women in Canada who are wearing the full face veil. I think there are a lot more than that. You live in Toronto. I think it's growing. I don't think we can say, as somebody said, that it's

Procedure and House Affairs committee  I'd still like to bring out the point of why it is always being discussed as a Muslim issue, first of all, and that any discussion that I've heard today seems to be focusing on us, and second, that you're building more anti-Muslim feelings out there. This has nothing to do with u

Procedure and House Affairs committee  I think it is not a religious issue. When Muslims go to the most holy of places, which is on the pilgrimage to Mecca and Medina, women have to show their faces. Therefore, the covering of the face is really the interpretation of some people, but it is not a majority decision, nor

Procedure and House Affairs committee  I seem to be repeating myself, I think, even this discussion again. There is no one Muslim community; there are Muslim communities. I think CAIR Canada has their own opinions, and they can express them. I don't think they are an illegitimate group. You're hearing different opin

Procedure and House Affairs committee  I hate to disagree with someone who is for democracy, but I wish your language was a little less inflammatory with reference to words like “sharia”, “gender apartheid”, and so on. We were the organization that fought against the Muslim family law in Ontario and got it, but it was

Citizenship and Immigration committee  Well, I'm going to make a suggestion. I don't mind at all.... I've come from Kingston, and I would rather not present just now. This cutting off is rather difficult for all of you, but it's also difficult for us, because we've done a lot of work in order to give you a presentati

Citizenship and Immigration committee  But there was also this thing that we would have time for communication between you and us. If that's not possible....

Citizenship and Immigration committee  As you can understand, our interest is not in strengthening the immigration program but to express our concerns about the vulnerability of the sponsored woman, to see how she can be protected, and to suggest positive actions for her settlement in her new life in Canada. Allow m

Citizenship and Immigration committee  Sure.

Citizenship and Immigration committee  Okay, I'll go ahead and give you my presentation, then. Thank you.

Citizenship and Immigration committee  Mine is eight minutes; I have it timed exactly.

Status of Women committee  The Canadian Council of Muslim Women is grateful for this opportunity to address the Parliamentary Standing Committee on the Status of Women. Violence against women is a complex, yet, simultaneously, a simple issue. If as a society and a country we believe in human rights for a

Status of Women committee  About $300,000 for two years.

Status of Women committee  It just finished in October.