Born and raised here
By Annie Burns-Pieper
Annie Burns-Pieper
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
STORY SUMMARY
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Nadia Naqvi is a mother of three, a high-school science teacher, a practicing Muslim and a second-generation Canadian living in Montreal. Because she wears the hijab, she can't receive a promotion or change jobs. In 2019, the province of Quebec, where she lives, enacted Bill 21, which bans public servants from wearing religious symbols at work.
In 2018, Nadia was diagnosed with a rare immune disorder and used a wheelchair for two years. As she regains her ability to walk, she is fighting the law that limits her future while teaching and caring for her young family.
Nadia Naqvi puts on her hijab before school. Because she was employed by the school board before Bill 21 came into effect, she can continue to teach with the hijab. New teachers in the province are prohibited from wearing religious symbols at work.
Naqvi, born in Montreal, says she has experienced Islamophobia her entire life.
After regaining the ability to walk, Naqvi returned to work as a science teacher.
Naqvi’s son Habib Waqas helps get her walker into the car in the morning.
Occupational therapists and contractors arrive to begin consultations for home renovations to accommodate the disability Naqvi now lives with.
Naqvi is a vocal opponent to Bill 21 and is the co-founder of the Quebec Muslim’s Teachers Association.
Habib Waqas, Naqvi’s oldest son, talks to his mother about schoolwork.
Naqvi helps her children get ready for the madrasa, an evening school where they receive an Islamic education.
From the left, Humnah Waqas, Rifaqat Waqas, and Amaan Waqas relax for a minute before they leave for the evening.
Amaan Waqas, the youngest in the family, plays after school.
Humnah Waqas, Naqvi’s daughter, plans to wear the hijab despite the discrimination her mother has experienced.