Trapped in a straightjacket of misconceptions about them created by headlines and stories in the news, Muslim women are often seen as disruptive, scheming or polarizing. But while the media tend to portray them as submissive and silenced, filmmaker Saïda Ouchaou-Ozarowski has rejected these blatant stereotypes. She sat down with six Muslim Canadian women who were eager to talk about what shapes their identities. The resulting documentary, In Full Voice, offers an intimate perspective on the journey taken by these women, all of whom share a desire to convey their vision of Islam.

As the film progresses, we increasingly realize that these women not only challenge our assumptions about a community that’s too often stigmatized—they also prove that if there’s one thing that transcends our differences, it’s that we all seek freedom and equity.

Struck by increasingly stereotyped media portrayals of Muslim Canadian women, I started to question my own knowledge.

The women of Muslim faith who I knew and met did not correspond to these images, and neither did I.

It was inconceivable to me that I was in a minority. That I was alone in struggling with questions about my culture, my background, my beliefs. That this duality within me, guiding me and shaping me, was mine only, specific to me.

So I looked for women who, like me, are of the Muslim faith, rooted in a family culture shaped by religion, and who were willing to talk about their experiences, which are not that different from mine—or even yours. I decided to focus on six women who are committed, confident, witty, generous and compassionate. Above all, though, they are women who are curious about the world around them.

These six women live in three of Canada’s largest cities. They’re in their thirties and forties. Some were born here, some in other countries—in Southeast Asia, North Africa, the Middle East, Europe. They are francophones, francophiles and in some cases anglophones.

Whether practising or not, they embody their own versions of Islam, and are quick to dismiss misconceptions and stereotypes, refusing to be stigmatized. To be reduced to sensationalist headlines. To be silenced. Whatever society may think, the reality of Muslim women cannot be reduced to the debate around the headscarf. They are diverse. They are complex. They are fluid. By virtue of lifestyle choices they’ve made that are informed by the concept of freedom, these Canadian women eloquently prove that their connection to their spirituality in no way inhibits their openness to the world.

I’m honoured to have had the opportunity to engage with these women, mothers and citizens. Each encounter was one more step toward a multidimensional, human vision of Islam.

-Saïda Ouchaou-Ozarowski

Trapped in a straightjacket of misconceptions about them created by headlines and stories in the news, Muslim women are often seen as disruptive, scheming or polarizing. But while the media tend to portray them as submissive and silenced, filmmaker Saïda Ouchaou-Ozarowski has rejected these blatant stereotypes. She sat down with six Muslim Canadian women who were eager to talk about what shapes their identities. The resulting documentary, In Full Voice, offers an intimate perspective on the journey taken by these women, all of whom share a desire to convey their vision of Islam.

As the film progresses, we increasingly realize that these women not only challenge our assumptions about a community that’s too often stigmatized—they also prove that if there’s one thing that transcends our differences, it’s that we all seek freedom and equity.

From Montreal to Toronto, New York City and Canada’s West Coast, Sonia, Kenza, Asmaa, Loubna, Eman and Farheen open up about their experiences with poise and sensitivity, discussing their relationship to freedom, religion and culture, and revealing their hopes and doubts in the process. In Full Voice shatters taboos and shows us that Muslim women are anything but ordinary. Their individual quests for identity reflect our own, reminding us that ultimately, we are not so different.

One-liner

The film In Full Voice paints a frank, honest and sensitive portrait of Muslim women today.

Two-liner

Muslim women are not who we think they are: they’re neither silent nor submissive. Six Muslim Canadian women, all strong-willed feminists, take centre stage to deconstruct the prejudices surrounding them, piece by piece. Unlike mainstream media portrayals, In Full Voice lets the women speak for themselves, and they openly share their unique journeys, without any taboos.