Face Values
"Here in Quebec we receive and we give services with our face uncovered"
And with that simple declaration, the Province has tabled a bill requiring Muslim women to show their faces in all government locations, including schools, hospitals and daycares.
This basically bans the niqab from much of public life.
The hijab - a partial veil - and other religious symbols like crosses and the Star of David are not a part of this initiative.
Why has Quebec stepped over the fences of political correctness to do this?
"...because they disrupt personal interactions, and makes it hard to identify and communicate with people."
The Premier, Jean Charest, says that this is an issue of secularism and gender equality.
I salute him.
10 comments:
Kudos to Quebec, at least someone in this great country has the cajones to stand up to this insidious and relentless assault on our way of life. There is no secular reason for this face covering business according to the vast majority of Muslim clerics. It was practiced when these people endured massive sand storms in their old country. It soon become a ceremonial item to be worn only at special religious events but was slowly embraced by the males as a way to further subjugate their women while refusing them education and a rightful place in the social discourse of a normal society.
On top of that . . ask yourself or any Muslim you may know, just what have Muslims ever contributed to this world we live in? I haven't heard of them inventing or discovering anything other than IED's and their overall contribution to society over the centuries has been far and away the propagation of violence and feudal control while embracing a life culture of self serving graft and torture and genocide and, and . . . . .
And we send our finest over to their country to try and give them a hand at kick starting their civilization and what do we get, latest death count . . . 100+.
All this has no place in my Canada.
Dead right!
David,
It seems to me that Canada needs to make our expectations/standards of appropriate behaviour very explicit to all potential immigrants. Citizenship should only be granted to those who abide by those expectations. Revoke it for non-compliance, if necessary.
Our problem appears to be that we need immigration because of our declining birth rate, but we are afraid to discourage applicants by insisting that they adhere to our traditions. By accomodating various demands for special treatment we are opening a virtual Pandoras's box.
DC
". . . On top of that . . ask yourself or any Muslim you may know, just what have Muslims ever contributed to this world we live in? I haven't heard of them inventing or discovering anything other than IED's and their overall contribution to society over the centuries has been far and away the propagation of violence and feudal control while embracing a life culture of self serving graft and torture and genocide and, and . . . . . . . ."
Wow!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muslim_world#Sciences
While I don't agree with Anon, I do agree with Quebec.
Mo.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bj1w0vxCC2w&NR=1
I agree with Quebec's decision regarding the requirement to show one's face when conducting public business. I suppose my stance is more regarding security.
I take issue with the anonymous poster above who states "ask yourself or any Muslim you know, just what have Muslims contributed to this world we live in? blah blah blah, hate, hate, hate" People who practice Islam can also be doctors, lawyers, mathematicians, etc. Raving fundamentalism (of ANY religion or tenant) is disturbing. However, it is not right to slander an entire group of people based on one's dislike for the radical fundamentalist few.
In October 2006, I performed on a cruise ship touring the Middle East that spent one week in Iran. As all women visiting or living in Iran, I had to cover up with only my face and hands exposed. I was permitted to wear pants, but had to wear extra layers around my waist and hips, so as not to reveal any female shape. By the end of the first day, I felt constricted, claustrophobic, overheated, emotional and extremely resentful of the overt gender inequality with my male counterparts not having to adhere to the same restrictive dress code. As a non-Muslim woman, there was no special consideration given to me regarding clothing, even though covering up went against every core belief I have as an empowered Western female. In spite of my personal convictions, I respectfully and politely complied to the laws of the country.
However, back in Canada, I cheer Premier Jean Charest on and hope that others have the courage to follow his lead in championing for gender equality. Aside having had many conversations with young Iranian women during my stay in Iran about the struggles they face living in their country today, in the very least let’s not support these imposed restrictions on women in our country. As did Iranian Ruler Reza Shah Pahlavi fight for women’s rights in introducing the unveiling issue in 1936, so can Canadian leaders in 2010.
Well, opinions stated about this issue remind me of those people had 20 years ago about Sikhs being allowed to wear turbans and kirpans. Sikhs have been doing so for a long time here in Canada, and the country seems to be holding together quite nicely. I personally have seen very few women wearing veils over the years. Most girls and women I've known who come from Muslim families wear regular Western clothing. Is veil wearing such a huge problem that a special regulation is needed to "do something" about this "problem"? I fail to see how it could be.
I would like to address a question the first commentator asked, about what contributions Muslims ever made to civilization.
Uh, let's see now...
How about starting with the number system that we currently use, with numerals 1, 2, 3, etc. Ever tried doing calculations with the old Roman-numeral system lately, especially multiplication and division? There was a reason why the Roman system was dropped in favour of the current one.
Since I'm on the subject of math let's include algebra. That's the algebra that any graduating high school student in this province is expected to know, and is used extensively by mathematicians, scientists, engineers, and computer programmers.
And let's not forget contributions over the centuries to sciences, medicine, architecture, literature, and engineering. Europe was pulled out of the "Dark Ages" when knowledge from the Islamic world started to filter in and be utilized, which helped bring about the Renaissance. I would like to recommend people watch an excellent 3-part documentary produced by the BBC called "An Islamic History of Europe" if it is ever broadcast again. You'd be surprised how many things we take for granted today have Islamic roots.
Craig Y.
Ignatieff spoke in favour of this today, too.
Seems the Liberals are onside!
Where are the Tories?
1001 inventions
http://www.youtube.com/1001inventions#p/u/0/JZDe9DCx7Wk
again.
http://www.youtube.com/1001inventions
http://www.1001inventions.com
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