Quebec renews burqa ban debate in parliament

[Eugene]

Source: The Guardian

Quebec renews burqa ban debate in parliament

Bill aims to provide a framework for religious accommodation
requests and would ban anyone wearing a face covering from
receiving public services

Ashifa Kassam in Toronto
Tuesday 18 October 2016 22.17 BST

A bitter debate over identity, religion and tolerance has resumed in the Canadian province of Quebec, as parliamentary hearings begin on proposed legislation that would ban anyone wearing a face covering from receiving public services in the province.

The bill, tabled by the provincial Liberals last year, aims to address the issue of state neutrality and provide a framework for religious accommodation requests.

But much of the public discussion of the bill has focused on its attempt to ban face coverings. The provincial government has said there are no public employees in the province who cover their faces, meaning the legislation is likely directed at Muslim women who wear the niqab or burqa.

The government has presented it as an issue of public safety. “We are not legislating on clothing,” Stéphanie Vallée, the province’s justice minister, said last year. “Public services have to be offered and received with the face uncovered for security, identification and communication purposes.”

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Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/oct/18/burqa-ban-proposal-quebec-parliament-hearings

[Bernardo de La Paz]

1. Enough with (mostly men) telling women what to wear & not wear.

I think it is pretty simple. If you serve the public, you should expose your face. If you need to assert your identity (traffic stop, voting, court case, etc.) you need to expose your face.

Other than that, does it really matter?

The percentage wearing burkas is tiny anyway.

This is yet another attempt to control women under the guise of islamophobia. It is as bad as husbands demanding women wear burkas, but that is between the woman and the husband.

[font color = "purple"]Wearing burkas should be discouraged by empowerment but protected as a right.[/font]

[cleanhippie]

2. Pretty sure it's all men telling women to wear them in the first place.

There's exceptions every rule, sure, but we both know this "custom" comes directly from men.