Conquer Club

Muslim women and others with concealing headwear will have to uncover their faces when they deal with Quebec government services, under landmark legislation tabled Wednesday.

In tabling the controversial bill, Quebec has delved into sensitive territory where governments in Canada have largely avoided treading.

The bill says people obtaining — or delivering — services at places like the provincial health or auto-insurance boards will need to do so with their faces in plain view.

The legislation says people's face coverings will not be tolerated if they hinder communication or visual identification. The traditional Muslim niqab shows little more than a woman's eyes.

Quebec is drawing a line in defence of two principles, gender equality and secular public institutions, Premier Jean Charest said at a news conference Wednesday morning.

"This is a symbol of affirmation and respect — first of all for ourselves, and also for those to whom we open our arms," Charest told reporters. "This is not about making our home less welcoming, but about stressing the values that unite us. ...

"An accommodation cannot be granted unless it respects the principle of equality between men and women, and the religious neutrality of the state."

Fear to tread
While the debate over such identity issues has raged in Europe for years, Canadian politicians have generally been reluctant to weigh in.

Charest's Liberal government has faced persistent criticism from those who say it has done too little to draw up guidelines for accommodating minorities.

Quebec newspapers have been full of stories where people express outrage over perceived religious excesses, and the opposition has clobbered the government in the legislature over its supposed inaction.

The bill, tabled by Justice Minister Kathleen Weil, explicitly points out that any provisions are subject to the guarantees of gender and religious equality outlined in the federal Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

In Quebec, the debate over face coverings has consumed a tremendous amount of attention for what amounts to a minuscule number of cases.

Of the more than 118,000 visitors to the health board's Montreal office in 2008-09 only 10 were niqab wearers who asked for special dispensation.

There were no such cases among the 28,000 visitors to the Quebec City service centre over the same time period.

© The Canadian Press, 2010



Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/montreal/story ... z0j7MeCyYW

keiths31 wrote:http://www.cbc.ca/canada/montreal/story/2010/03/24/quebec-reasonable-accommodation-law.html?ref=rss

2dimes wrote:How can this even be a question? Even Woodruff gets it. And NO you can't have muslems hired specifically to look. If there's not one on staff (can't imagine this being the case) that day someone else will get to see you. Suck it up!

2dimes wrote:I mostly base my opinion on the fact that just like me you don't want to take the time to read things before you post comments.

2dimes wrote:I'm probably projecting or something but you seem more like a person that would defend the right of a lady in full burka to remain concealed at all times.

2dimes wrote:I also am a little bitter that you're not considering the rights of both parties in the B&B thread when you changed your position.

2dimes wrote:Mostly it was just a cheap shot.

Yoda Skywalker wrote:When I think of Canada, I think about the film dons of Hollywood going there to make films because they don't want to be a part of the giant shithole LA, even though it was them and their cronies that turned it into a shithole along with rest of the country (US). YES, THIS IS ANOTHER HEARTFELT TRUTHFUL REFERANCE TO THE JEWS IN POWER. 46 years into the plan!!!!!!! Don't know the plan though do ya?

Woodruff wrote:

keiths31 wrote:http://www.cbc.ca/canada/montreal/story/2010/03/24/quebec-reasonable-accommodation-law.html?ref=rss

It seems to me to be a reasonable requirement for Muslim women to uncover their faces enough for visual confirmation of identity to take place, then being allowed to re-cover their faces after that visual confirmation takes place.

2dimes wrote:I'm probably projecting or something but you seem more like a person that would defend the right of a lady in full burka to remain concealed at all times. I'm not sure what the purpose of the ninja outfit is but I'm sure there's places you can wear it and not have your rights violated by French people that couldn't care less about religious freedom. Though it's diluted in Quebec, like mother France the official religion there is Catholicism and you have a right to be that if you're looking for religious freedom. Other wise you need to take off the hat to get photo ID pictures taken.

2dimes wrote:The problem is England sent troops over and France for whatever reason didn't send back up. So we became colonized in 1867 then in the 80s in an act of denile that's become very Canadian they changed the celebration of that anniversary to "Canada day" to pretend it didn't happen. "Hey man, we're our own thing here. We don't need the monarcy. Don't think that makes us a bunch of stupid Americans either eh!" So yeah the official policy for Canada is to let you come here and do what ever makes you happy. Set up gangs like you did back home? Go ahead, why not? We don't opress africans here so they are just a bunch of regular Canadians. Someone should fill that gang void here. Want to wear a burka and smuggle things into Canada refusing to even show your face. Go ahead. Oh you might not want to land in Quebec they actually search people and make them take off the hat to properly identify themselves. You should have went through Lester B. Pearson.

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