Goddess

This is my understanding, too - that Saudi Wahhabism is making definite strides in Canada and other countries where their funding is accepted by Muslim organizations and they are then obligated to abide by the wishes of the extremists funding them. And they are having definite success in establishing their extreme brand of Islam in Canada. Yet while they are busily funding and establishing extreme Islam in Canada and actively recruiting Muslims to their brand of extremism, we have Canadians who feel that we should do nothing about it, nor allow our politicians to address it:

I meant the ones who refuse - do so for religious reasons. I guess I'm getting tired of accomodating bizarre and unhealthy religious beliefs, while they refuse to accomodate common sense ones.

I have more faith in their common sense than in the common sense of any religious fundie. That could very well be.

Hmmmm.....I'm thinking there is probably less people who wear a surgical mask in public as a security blanket, than women in burkas.

I believe she has said she doesn't agree with burkas, but I think she is more comfortable with women being dictated to by their religion than being dictated to by the government.

Using Benz' analogy of the fields, both sides of this dispute were squarely in the religious field. One side felt Sunday is the religious "day of rest", the other did not. Secularism won out. Thankfully.

I would only add that it's not considered misogyny - it IS misogyny. And if we have to legislate it away, then so be it.

I've seen more people in burkas than people walking around with surgical masks (except in China). I'm assuming such ones wouldn't have an issue with taking them off momentarily for security and ID purposes, unlike burka wearers who refuse for religious reasons. Some outpatients are required to wear a mask in public for medical reasons (which is different than religious reasons), so I'm also going to assume that any law would include some common sense. I think it would be difficult to hide a machete or home made bomb or a gun under a surgical mask......would be the reason common sense would prevail in your hypothesis.

I think it's not headscarves - it's the full face burkas and niqabs that present the issues.

Well, really the concern here is that husbands/fathers ARE using force, the women - too cowed to report it. And when they do, mostly nothing is done because no one wants to challenge the religious freedom aspect. This is why this law will be useless unless we are fully prepared to prosecute families who hold their women captive. France has issued many fines, and one report says some women are getting fined multiple times. I'm okay with this - if a family/husband wants to force women into burkas, then the consequence is you keep paying the fines.

Would you be more receptive to such a law if the government outright said "This laws is to fight oppression against women by Muslim men and mosques?" I agree the number of women this would affect would be small. Maybe a percentage of those would gain strength from such a law to go against their family/religion by reporting them. And maybe another percentage of families would think twice about forcing their women into burkas if it were prosecutable. Mostly just thinking out loud here.....

I hear you on this. I'm just not sure which I find more offensive - husbands/the religion telling their wives they can't leave the house without a burka or governments saying they can't leave the house with one. If I had to choose based on motives though, I'd go with the government. Especially becaue the government is only banning them in public places.

If ordinary citizens were to lobby the government to make this kind of oppression against women legal, people here would be totally against it. But because it's done in the name of a religion, we are required to "accomodate" it and argue in favor of it.

This law may be regressive and exclusionary but burkas and niqabs are regressive and exclusionary.... **shrug**

It's very confusing here. I've received warnings for posting something without my opinion on it and now scolded for including my opinion. I'm starting to feel like I can't win here.

Would this be just my opinion that is not needed, or your opinion, or any and all opinions or just opinions that you don't agree with? Sorry, I thought we could speak our opinion on a discussion forum. My apologies.

I don't think it's any ONE concern in particular. Not "security" and not "playing into prejudices." I think there's a combination of concerns. I'm not sure how you balance the right to religious freedom, with the principle of equality between the sexes when the two are so blatantly at odds with each other in this case.

As I said, I'm not sure how I feel about this. I see both sides.

1. I think it is. At least part of it. No one wants a burka'ed lady (or man, they're starting to disguise themselves in burkas in Europe, too) getting on a bus, pulling out a knife and stabbing people in a confined space. 2. Sort of agree. Canada was founded on the Christian religion, so.....but at the same time - Yes, if we're going to be secular, then be secular and ditch the crucifix. Also don't force our women MP's to use the side entrance of a mosque, hijab up and sit seperate from the men. It works both ways. 3. Or maybe they're finally listening to people's concerns. And learning from Europe. Either way, there's going to be growing pains on this one. On both sides.

http://www.msn.com/en-ca/news/canada/bill-62-would-mean-no-face-coverings-on-the-bus-minister-confirms/ar-AAtF1TF?li=AAggNb9 I'm not sure how I feel about this - on the one hand it irritates me that how women dress is a subject of legislation and I understand the religious freedom aspect of it and the issue of personal choice. On the other hand, I also understand the communication, identification and security aspects involved. A burka'ed woman in Alberta went into a Canadian Tire store with a huge knife to stab people and had to be restrained. Fortunately no one got stabbed in that incident. I dont' like the "separation" and "otherness" of the burka/niqab and how it makes the woman into a non-entity, barely human or the denigration of women messages inherent in it. I sometimes think if it's truly a "choice", then there should be no problem with not wearing it at inappropriate times, or when asked not to for security and ID purposes. It's not like these women are left without a choice - They have options, they could switch to hijab if they feel it's necessary. If it's not a choice and the woman is being held captive in her home because her family refuses to let her out without the burka, then I think we should be prepared to prosecute the families who do this. We can't put forth this kind of legislation and not follow through on prosecuting, that would be unfair to the women. And sometimes I think we have to regulate stupidity. Like we did with seat belt laws.

I don't think he ever did that. Maybe because doing so just screams, "My religion comes before everything else."

This point from the article has never been answered for me:

Cite for the planned assassination, please.