'Wound is opened up again' after exam features controversial Charlie Hebdo cover: Muslim community leader
Manitoba education department redacted exam section that included caricature of Muhammad, made test optional
A Muslim community leader in Winnipeg says she was shocked and disappointed to see a controversial magazine cover with a caricature of the Prophet Muhammad included as part of a case study in a provincial Manitoba Grade 12 exam last week.
The province's education department has now redacted that section of the French-immersion exam, and made the exam — which was intended as a standardized provincial test — optional for students, after the province's largest school division raised concerns about it.
"This exam is just another piece, another layer, that has been added to the suffering we thought we were all behind," said Shahina Siddiqui, the executive director of the Manitoba-based Islamic Social Services Association.
A case study in the exam included an image from the French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo, originally printed in 2011. The exam booklet included a photo of a person holding up a copy of the magazine, which featured the caricature of the Muslim prophet on its cover.
Depictions or imagery of the Prophet Muhammad are not allowed in Islam, and the cartoon itself is an Islamophobic image that could create fear and spur hate toward Muslim students, Siddiqui said.
The image's inclusion could give the impression that educators are OK with students experiencing Islamophobia in schools, she said in an interview with CBC.
"The damage has been done.… It's making peers afraid of peers."
This year's exam theme was "La liberté d'expression: un bien ou un mal?" meaning, "Freedom of expression: good or bad?"
Students were asked to write arguments about why they believe freedom of expression is a good thing or a bad thing using case studies included in the 51-page test booklet.
The test also includes information about the January 2015 attack on Charlie Hebdo's Paris office that left 12 people dead — a violent event that has been widely condemned by Muslim communities across the world, Siddiqui said.
In a statement to CBC News on Wednesday, the province said the education department has requested schools collect the test, redact the offensive content and return the booklets to schools.
Schools can also give alternative exams in its place, the province said.
"The department takes the concerns raised about this content seriously and is reviewing this matter to ensure that future examination materials are appropriately considered," a provincial spokesperson said.
'You're supposed to respect each other'
Siddiqui said it is important for educators to educate themselves about the impact of Islamophobia.
"I don't believe in suppressing information, but choosing what information is appropriate," she said, suggesting the exam could have included a different case study that illustrated a similar point.
"In a human relationship, you're supposed to respect each other. If you know that something will hurt me and you know the history, those who put it together know the history of the cartoon, know how much Muslims were hurt … that wound is opened up again," she said.
Siddiqui said her own grandson is in Grade 11, and would likely have felt pain and anger if he had seen that image on a test.
In a statement, the Manitoba Islamic Association said the exam included "several factual inaccuracies that contribute to harmful misrepresentations of Muslim communities."
"The exam perpetuates stereotypes that have historically fuelled discrimination and, tragically, hate crimes against Canadian Muslims. Such messaging risks making Muslim students feel unwelcome or marginalized in their own schools."
Lillian Klausen, president of the Manitoba Teachers' Society, said the image used in the exam "crosses the line into hate speech."
"I believe it was a good call to remove the insulting Islamophobic caricature. We want all students to do their best work on this important writing assessment. They can't do that if they are insulted or triggered," Klausen said in a written statement.
Last week, Winnipeg School Division superintendent Matt Henderson sent a letter to students' families, apologizing for any harm the test may have caused.
Division staff "noticed immediately that there was content that could be offensive for some of our learners," the letter said.
That material was redacted, and students who might have been offended were given the option to not write the exam, Henderson's letter said.
He said students' grades will not be affected if they choose to opt out. Instead, final grades will be based on class work and assessments.
Siddiqui said her association was not consulted about the exam, but it has consulted schools in the past. She hopes she can work with teachers in the future to educate them about the impact of Islamophobia.
"I hope that this teaches a lesson that's lasting," she said.
With files from Matt Humphrey and Maggie Wilcox