Far-right group targets Dawson College after hijab event

Dawson College and its Muslim Students Association have become the targets of criticism by members of a far-right group in Quebec that claims to be concerned about the rise of radical Islam.

The student association held an event last month in the cafeteria of the Montreal English-language CEGEP.

Students were invited to try wearing ahijab, which, unlike some other Muslim garb, is not associated with particularly conservative branches of Islam.

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Though the student association holds similar activities every semester as part of IslamicAwareness Day, the November edition was covered by the French-language newspaper, theJournal de Montral.

That article was then posted on the members-onlysecret section of theFacebookpage belonging to LaMeute, an online organization startedby a pair of former Canadian soldiers, boasting43,000 members.

La Meute,which recently gave a CBC journalist access to the members-only section,has become increasingly vocal about immigration and identity issues since its formation last year.

Members of the group encouraged eachother to denounce the event publicly and taketheir concerns to theCEGEP'sadministration.

"I am very angry," wrote one member. "Please, it's important to take action by phoning the college to tell them that this is unacceptable."

Dawson received about a dozen complaints, includingemails, phone messages andFacebookmessages, saidDonnaVarrica, theCEGEP'sspokeswoman.

Though she said none of the complainants identified themselves as being from of any particular group, several La Meute members took to its Facebook page to claim they had expressed their displeasure to the college.

Varricacited one complaint in which someone claimed to be"stupefied" the college would let the event go ahead. Another complaint questioned howthe college could sanction such an event "here in Quebec."

Asked if any student association at the collegehad ever been the subject of a similar backlash,Varricasaid, "Not in my 15 years."

Hijabsymbol of oppression for LaMeute

LaMeutesaid the campaign was not organized by the group's leadersbut rather was an independent initiative of its members. The group nevertheless believes thehijabis a symbol of oppression.

"For us, the wearing of the veil is squarely an act of politicalindoctrination, because not being under the jurisdiction ofShariahhere, no female Muslim is obliged to wear it," LaMeutespokesmanSylvainMaikantold CBC News.

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Membersof the Muslim Students Association were also singled out for criticism.

A female member of the association, pictured in the Journal deMontralarticle wearing ahijab,received a series of confrontational messages on herFacebookpage.

At least one of the accounts sending the messages belongs to a member of LaMeute.

"Instead of showing it's cool and fine, show the real side where women are mistreated and girls are forced to marry adults and women are forced to listen to their husbands and are beaten," readsonemessage from theLaMeutemember, written in French.

"It all starts with that darn piece of cloth.... Do you approve of that????... Poor you."

Correcting misconceptions

With personal comments being directedat one of their fellow members, the Muslim Students Association felt compelled to pen an open letter calling for tolerance and better understanding of Islam.

Why do we continue to harvest hate when we sowlove?- Open letter fromDawson's Muslim Student Association

"We had to do something about that because we can't let that happen," NevinHoque, president of the student association, told CBC Newsin a recent interview.

"One of the biggest misconceptions was that women who wear the hijab are forced to," he added. "They're not forced at all. They have a choice to wear it."

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The letter, which was submitted to the Dawson Student Union, says Islamophobiccomments only motivateMSAmembers to work harderand make a positivecontribution to society.

"We made efforts to live in harmony with everyone so why do we continue to harvest hate when we sowlove,"the letter reads.

The CEGEP's administration reached out to the MSA following the outcryand encouraged members ofthe group to call security if ever they feel threatened.

"They've been assured by the college that before anything else, they're Dawson students, and they're allowed to share their culture," Varrica said.

• Inside Quebec's far right: Take a tour of LaMeute, the secretive group with 43,000 members
• Inside Quebec's far right: Soldiers of Odin leadership shake-up signals return to extremist roots