Your discussion post provides a sharp analysis of the Commission’s procedures and their inherent power dynamics, as well as the framing of the hijab in colonial and contemporary contexts. I’d like to extend this discussion by exploring the implications of these hierarchies and the intersections of race, gender, and colonial desire.
The Commission's reliance on open dialogue as a vehicle for inclusion may seem progressive on the surface, but as you point out, it merely recasts existing hierarchies in a more palatable form. The expectation for racialized groups to "justify their presence" and offer reassurances about their compatibility with Québécois identity reveals the unequal distribution of power. This process frames belonging as something granted by the Franco-Québécois majority, rather than a fundamental right of all individuals within society. By centering the fears of the majority, the Commission shifts the burden of proving worthiness onto racialized groups, effectively perpetuating exclusionary narratives under the guise of tolerance.
The framing of Muslim practices, particularly the hijab, further entrenches these dynamics. As you note, the hijab is hyper-visible in both colonial and contemporary imaginaries, serving as a focal point for debates on identity and secularism. This parallels Alia Al-Saji’s insights into how the hijab has historically been racialized and objectified within colonial discourse. The hijab becomes not just a symbol of resistance but also a site of colonial obsession, where the act of "unveiling" symbolizes dominance, control, and possession.
In the context of the Commission, this colonial gaze resurfaces in secularism debates, where Muslim women’s choices are over-determined by the majority’s anxieties about cultural purity and modernity. The hijabi Muslim woman is constructed as both a threat to and a test of the majority’s "tolerance." Yet, as Al-Saji notes, this framing erases the agency and individuality of Muslim women, reducing them to symbols that either affirm or challenge the majority’s identity. The preoccupation with the hijab as a marker of "backwardness" mirrors colonial attempts to control and "fix" the cultural other, often through narratives of liberation that are steeped in paternalism and Orientalism.
What’s particularly insidious is how these dynamics allow the majority to position itself as progressive and tolerant, while simultaneously perpetuating systems of exclusion and control. The secularism debate, for instance, casts the majority as defenders of modern values, obscuring the structural racism embedded in these policies and public discourses. This framework not only marginalizes Muslim communities but also reinforces the broader racial hierarchies within Québécois society, maintaining the Franco-Québécois majority’s dominance.
Ultimately, the parallels between colonial and contemporary representations of the hijab highlight how deeply these power structures are entrenched. The hijab, overloaded with meanings imposed by the majority, becomes a tool for reinforcing colonial-style hierarchies in modern contexts. To truly move beyond these dynamics, there must be a shift away from frameworks that place the majority as arbiters of belonging and identity. Instead, policies and dialogues must center the lived experiences, agency, and voices of racialized groups, recognizing their equal stake in shaping the society they are part of.