And there has been a great deal of attention paid to the full-face veil worn by a few Muslim women.
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Ishaq, 29, came to Canada from Pakistan in 2008 and gained permanent residency.
Ishaq says she is baffled about all the fuss over her decision not to remove her niqab during a swearing-in ceremony to become a full-fledged Canadian citizen. I feel I can’t go without this piece of cloth anywhere in public…
The niqab controversy stems from a 2011 government policy banning new Canadians from wearing face coverings while taking their citizenship oaths.
Tremonti asked Ishaq how she is being treated in public. She said she has never experienced that before.
“They should be concerned about the issues of the country, the real issues like job loss and the refugee crisis”, she said.
“I don’t think it’s going to be more than a dozen”, Twakkal told AM980′s Craig Needles Show. “But there is no point of unveiling myself in front of the public in the ceremony”. “They want those joining the Canadian family to follow the rules that have existed for a long time”.
The prime minister also lauded the contributions made to Canada by Canadian Chinese in various areas such as business, academia, mathematics, medicine, sport and science. The niqab represents a medieval tribal custom that reflects a misogynistic view of women. The party has talked about banning the niqab for all civil servants, just as France has done.
“When we are there and we are talking with them, there has never, ever been any difficulty to communicate with us and they have no negative attitude towards us”.
Harper’s critics say it’s all just dirty politics, at the expense of Muslims.
Unions and other political party leaders were quick to condemn the Conservative leader’s remarks.
Conservatives justify the position by saying it is central to core Canadian values. She had previously said she wished to obtain citizenship in time to vote in the federal election on October. 19.
“Let me be very clear, we’ve actually been saying the same thing for several months”, said Harper.
As for the bureaucracy, Griffith said the number of Muslims joining the public service will continue to increase and “sooner or later” a niqab-wearing employee will request or need an “accommodation”.
Re: To cover or not to uncover: the niqab debate, by Andrew Coyne, October 1. But several states have banned the niqab in specific situations, such as getting a driver’s license photo. Two courts have struck down the ban as a violation of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
The Ottawa Citizen reports that a joint House of Commons and Senate committee reviewing security following a gunman’s attack on Parliament a year ago is considering whether Muslim women wearing the face covering will have to unveil for a security check.
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Zunera Ishaq said much of the discussion swirling around the issue in recent weeks has been based on misconceptions about Islam, the niqab and the women who embrace both. “They’re Toronto Maple Leafs fans”. “But they choose to wear it in the sense of that it is something that is being praiseworthy and recommended”. “It doesn’t matter. In Canada, it is absolutely their right”.
