New Canadians Unveiled

From the Globe and Mail:
"Muslim women must show faces when taking citizenship oath"

A requirement for new Canadians to show their faces while taking the oath of citizenship puts the federal government on one side of a simmering debate over how far the state should go to accommodate minorities. Citizenship and Immigration Minister Jason Kenney announced Monday that Muslim women who wear burkas or niqabs must remove the garments when they are becoming citizens. The decision comes as the Supreme Court of Canada considers whether a woman should be allowed to testify in court with her face covered. And Quebec is debating a bill to ban face coverings for people receiving some government services, and those providing them. Two federal Conservative attempts to ban veiled voting have stalled before becoming law in recent years. Speaking to reporters in Montreal, Mr. Kenney said showing one’s face while taking the oath is a matter of “deep principle” that strikes at Canadian values of openness and equality.

^ This is a step in the right direction for Canada. Hopefully, this will be expanded to include making it illegal to wear the veil in all public places. I have said it before, while many Western countries are starting to ban the veil in public there are several Muslim/Arab countries that do the same. It is not a question of religious discrimination, but of public safety and security. I would like to see the US make the same laws. ^

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/no-veils-allowed-during-citizenship-oaths-kenney-says/article2267972/