After the Sun published Atangana's comments, former president of the Muslim Canadian Congress, Dr. Farzana Hassan wrote a reply. She argued that the blame for rape should be placed on the perpetrator, and not on the victim. But she also noted, "While rape is more often reported here, it occurs with equal if not greater frequency and ferocity in the Middle East and South Asia." In other words, dressing conservatively is unlikely to dissuade sexual assaults-in Middle Eastern countries where women dress more modestly, there are still rapes with little consequence for the perpetrator. The rules of rape are different there, but it's clear that a rape is a rape, regardless of a woman's dress. The trouble with Dr. Hassan's argument is when she claims that Atangana's point of view is more widespread in Islamist communities. "Many Islamist men do not understand the imperative of consent in a sexual relationship," she writes. But Dr. Hassan's suggestion that all Islamist men are the same in their views on women does nothing to fix, or even address the problem.

Farzana Hassan

By Farzana Hassan Ms. Hassan, a Toronto author, is past president of the Muslim Canadian Congress. Search for other articles by Farzana Hassan here

Farzana Hassan, communications director of the MCC said, "Islamists are defending the burka as if it was the central pillar of Islam. They consider Muslim women who do not cover their heads and faces--the vast majority -- as sinners or lesser Muslims. "It is of utmost importance that the Canadian government take the lead and end this medieval misogynist practise once and for all," Ms. Hassan added.

Speaking in favour of the motion were Jacques Myard, a member of the ruling conservative UMP coalition in the French national assembly and Farzana Hassan, a writer and women's rights activist of Pakistani origin. Ms. Hassan, a member and former founder of the Muslim Canadian Congress, said the niqab should be banned to protect women from growing radicalization. "The veil over the face will give my religion Islam a very bad name. Restricting some rights to protect others is not an infringement", she added.