Montreal professors don hijab to protest secular charter

Two non-Muslim professors are wearing the hijab to work to protest against theParti Qubcois' secular charter and its proposed ban on religious symbols for teachers, daycare workers and other public sector employees.

• LISTEN to fullinterview: Non-Muslim university professors adopt hijab
• Interactive |Breaking down Quebec's secular charter

CBC Daybreak host MikeFinnertyspoke withConcordiaUniversity history professor NoraJaffaryandMcGillUniversity political science professorCatherine Lu about their decision to wear the veil.

Jaffary is still wearing the veil to campus, whileLuwore the veil for a week in September to stir discussion in her classroom.

Jaffarysays that formanyMuslim women in Quebec, wearingthe veil is their own choice, and not something that is forced on them by parents or husbands.

She says the proposed ban wouldtarget a group of minorities in Quebec Muslim women and single them out.

So she said she decided to wear the veil to show her support.

"I wear it as a kind of sign of solidarity," she said.

Jaffary says if more people joinedtheir protest, they could have a major impact on the proposed legislation.

"If manypeople are wearing religious signs, its impossible to tell whos wearing them for what reason and so it sort of muddies the waters."

Click on the audio hereto hear the full interview.