A Muslim woman was told flat-out by a Quebec court judge that her case wouldn’t be heard if she insisted on wearing her hijab in court.
Rania El-Alloul had gone to court to get her car back after it had been seized after her son was recently caught driving it with a suspended licence.
The CBC said it obtained an audio recording of proceedings that occurred in the courtroom of Judge Eliana Marengo on Tuesday.
On the recording, the CBC reports that Rania El-Alloul told the judge she is a Muslim, but Marengo told her she could either remove her headscarf or ask for a postponement in order to consult a lawyer.
Marengo told El-Alloul that hats and sunglasses are not allowed and she didn’t see why a hijab is any different.
El-Alloul said she couldn’t afford a lawyer so the case has been adjourned indefinitely.
In an interview with the CBC, El-Alloul said she couldn’t believe what was happening.
“I felt that I’m not Canadian any more,” she said. “When I swore by God to be a good Canadian citizen I was wearing my hijab.”
Agencies/Canadajournal