MONTREAL – A Quebec woman who was refused her day in court because she was wearing a hijab has said no thanks to $47,000 raised on her behalf through a crowdfunding campaign.
The money collected on the GoFundMe website was to be used to help Rania El-Alloul buy a car.
The drive was in response to a judge’s refusal to hear her case against Quebec’s automobile insurance board, which had seized her vehicle.
El-Alloul said in a letter on the website that she appreciates the financial support offered by the “generous and warm-hearted campaign.”
But, she added, she can’t accept the gift.
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“The awareness raised by this campaign has brought us people from all over, who have offered support to carry this issue forward,” El-Alloul wrote.
“As a result, I believe that these funds can be put to better use helping those whose rights have been forfeited and stories left untold.”
Campaign organizers said they would like to earmark some of the money to help El-Alloul, who is pursuing legal action through the National Council of Canadian Muslims.
Quebec court Judge Eliana Marengo recently told El-Alloul her case would not be heard unless she removed her headscarf, saying it wasn’t appropriate to wear in her courtroom.
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