ABSTRACT

This chapter traces the issue of Muslim women's veiling in Canada over the past ten years, and provides an analysis of the political, media and public discourses regarding the veil. Orientalist tropes about Islam and Muslims have a powerfully resilient history and have fuelled western fascination with the exotic 'other'. Canadian political and media discourses have increasingly focused on the issue of Muslim women – and in particular veiling – as trigger points in larger national conversations about multi-culturalism, immigration and integration. An important aspect of Canadian public and media discourse about veiling was the focus on the 'Islamic credentials' of the niqab. The Quebec context is important in analysing Canadian veiling narratives as it highlights key themes and presents juxtaposition to the national debates. The Canadian federal election in October 2015 illuminates the public and political anxieties in relation to veiling, Canadian identity and the demarcation of 'acceptable' boundaries in the Canadian nation-state.