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Safety - Not the Hijab is the issue
2-12-2014
In light of a recent death of a Muslim woman, strangled to death, after her hijab was caught in an escalator at a Metro Station in Montreal, The Quebec Government has announced an immediate ban on women wearing Hijab, or any form of head coverings, such as scarf, or shawl, or anything remotely with loose ends, Chador or a Turban, which could essentially present a “Safety” hazard from traveling on public transportation or taking the Metro.
Sounds ridiculous? It should!
No there is no such announcement by the Quebec Government banning women wearing hijab or scarf from taking the public transportation or Metro. However, some media outlets and public reaction after it was discovered that the victim of this accident was a Muslim woman, Sister Naima Rharouity, media frenzy was just that, “Media misfire and horrific reactions over tragic metro death.” Clearly, the media failed to address the real concern and making this as a “Hijab” issue in a province, where the politicians have already gone berserk over headgears, may it be a Hijab, Jewish Kippa, or Sikh Turban.
We are appalled to see the comments made by general public, on the news media websites perpetuating such ridiculous notion and based on how the media reacted, deciding to perpetuate this tragic incident, as a Hijab issue, amounting to adding insult to injury. Shortly after her death, hateful comments and reactions spread on the internet fuelling the debate about Quebec’s new Value Charter.
Rather than being sympathetic the public reaction, thanks to the media frenzy surrounding this incident failed to ignore the fact that this was an accident, and the victim could have been anyone whose scarf could have been caught, resulting in such fatal accident. We extend sympathise and condolences Sister Naima Rharouity’s family. May Allah give you patience to deal with such tragic and untimely loss to your young family.
Rather than addressing the real cause of death, safety related issues on these Metro stations, the media focussed on the fact that the victim “Hijab” was caught. Would the media have reported in a similar manner if the victim was a Catholic Nun? Our guess is NO.
So why is it that a Muslim woman’s Hijab caught in escalator resulting in her death, has become the central piece of their story lines.
Shortly after the name of Joy Ostroff felt compelled to tell her own story to the media regarding her own similar experience at the Fabre Metro Station in Montreal; on December 11, 2013; “On her way down the escalator she suddenly had the sensation she was being assaulted from behind – her coat was tightening around her neck.” She told Global TV. “Toward the bottom of the stairwell she fell down on the ground with no way to pull myself up, thinking that if my coat got pulled in any further I was absolutely going to die,” she said. “I was being strangled.” There was no one the station to help her. “There was not one person anywhere, not on the escalator, not on the stairs,” she said.
Ms. Ostoroff, according to the media reports regrets not informing STM, the agency which operates public transit in Montreal, “Perhaps something would have been done had I followed through,” she said.
Evidently, the issue is not the Hijab, or Scarf, or Turban. It is the safety on elevators in Montreal Metro Stations which needs addressing, and authorities must focus on that, NOT on whether the person is wearing a Hijab. It could have been anyone.
The media acted completely in an irresponsible manner, speaking internet debates. The moment it was discovered that the victim was a Muslim woman, the media, without verification, perpetuated that it was her “Hijab” not the scarf which had been caught in the escalator.
“The lead of TVA and Journal de Montreal to allege that the woman was wearing a hijab fails on a basic level of journalistic discipline and that’s the level of verification,” said Alan Conter, a Concordia Journalism Law and Ethics Professor.
A journalist with leading French Newspaper, VOIR, in an article “A pure wool scarf and bottom of the media barrel” outlined quiet eloquently how stupidity of the media in sensationalizing a tragic death of a woman. He admitted “Obviously there was no verification done.” The news was “packaged” the moment it was discovered that it was woman’s “Scarf” that had been caught. “Maybe it was a hijab but why would you insist in telling us?” he asked.
Matthieu Charlebois, a blogger from Quebec managed to capture the hateful comments ignited on social media after an extremely irresponsible knee-jerk reaction, or reporting by the media on his blog, exposing the individuals making racists comments, such as, “One less Terrorist in Montreal.” Another individual stated, “This shows when you don’t know how to dress, you can die. The Charter would have saved her.” Yet another comment he highlighted, “I’m not saying we should kill them all. I’m just saying that we should arrange for them to kill themselves.”
Needless to say these racists comments are made by the small minority of individuals who fail to see the real issue, which is safety on the STM Metro Station, and the victim could have been anyone, a Catholic Nun, a Sikh Woman with a Chador, or some French Quebecker with a LV scarf.
This horrible incident has managed to expose several thing with certainty about the media; foremost the media bias against Islam and Muslims; the media’s ability to sensationalize the story for personal gains and popularity – spicing the story – perpetuating hatred towards Islam and Muslims, adding fuel to Islamophobia, whenever the story involves Islam or Muslims.
The positive side to this story is that it has also made the Muslims in Canada realize that the vast majority of Canadians are not falling for the traps set up by the media in sensationalizing stories involving Muslims, and their perpetuation of hatred towards Islam or Muslims.
In fact what this whole sad, tragic incident has uncovered is that the vast majority of the Canadians are sensible logical individuals who are able to distinguish between a news story and news stories sensationalize to perpetuate hate among Canadians.
On behalf of the Muslim community we would like to thank all those who expressed their sympathies and support for this young mother of two who died in a tragic accident at a public transit station due to technical failures on the part of the agency which operates that and that it coulds have been any one of us who may have fallen victim – Hijab or No Hijab.
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