News release details

A panel discussion this Friday at the Canadian Museum for Human Rights (CMHR) will focus on the rights of Muslim women, and all women, to control their bodies and choices.

The hijab has long been the focus of discussions around women's rights. Recent protests against state‐imposed requirements to veil in Iran, and reaction to the death of Jina (Mahsa) Amini and others, have prompted people around the world to rally for every woman’s right to control their body.

Muslim women have a wide diversity of views on the hijab. How can we build a culture that places their voices at the centre of conversations about the hijab? How does the hijab relate to the struggle for bodily autonomy for Muslim and non‐Muslim women everywhere?

"The Right to Choose: Hijab and Human Rights" will focus on these questions and more through conversation with:

• Nuzhat Jafri, Executive Director of the Canadian Council of Muslim Women;
• Shahina Siddiqui, the volunteer Executive Director of the Islamic Social Services Association;
• Zoulaykah Al Lilo, a newcomer student at the University of Winnipeg; and
• Isha Khan, CMHR CEO, who will serve as moderator for the discussion.

Admission to the entire Museum will be free after 5:00 p.m. as part of the Museum’s Free Friday Nights promotion. The event will begin at 7:00 p.m. and is open to the public. No admission ticket is required.

What: Panel discussion, "The Right to Choose: Hijab and Human Rights"

When: Friday, October 21. Free admission after 5:00 p.m., event at 7:00 p.m.

Where: Bonnie & John Buhler Hall, Level 1, CMHR

Media are invited to attend. Panelists are available for interviews prior to the event.

For more information, including participant biographies, please visit our event page.

This event is being held during Islamic History Month, which has been celebrated in October in Canada since 2007. It recognizes the extraordinary contributions of Muslim communities to Canadian society.