A young Muslim woman has qualified for Canadian Citizenship Status but this past week refused to take the Oath of Citizenship because she cannot do so with a Niqab on.
She feels hard done by – discriminated against no less.
Prime Minister Harper is on record as saying we here in Canada must take such an Oath – unmasked and many in Canada agree with him.
I too am sympathetic to his position but nonetheless have some doubts.
My doubts stem primarily on why should anyone care what an individual wears during such a ceremony – as long as officials are certain the person taking the oath is the one and the same as the person who is entitled to citizenship.
This can be confirmed by a female official confirming beforehand in a private room. Failing that – finger prints – iris scans and so one could, if needed, be used.
The main argument against being covered is the fact that generally speaking women should not be forced to cover their faces here in Canada when their male counterparts do not do likewise. In effect, if we allow women to do this, we are contributing to their subjugation.
But at the end of the day – it comes down to each Muslim woman deciding for herself whether or not she wishes to be so clothed.
The bottom-line here is that I could go either way so I turn this over to you to decide for me.
Having said that, there are several areas where I would not allow face coverings and one is in judicial proceedings where I know it is imperative that witnesses under oath have their faces uncovered to help ensure they are in fact telling the truth.
The second area is in teaching – there is no room in my opinion for teachers to have their faces covered since reading faces in the area of education – both from the teacher and student perspective - is almost as important as hearing the words spoken.
The third area is with respect to financial institutions given the issues surrounding masked people being allowed to enter such places.
The fourth and final area is with respect to driving. It is not quite as important as the first three since many cars now have their windows tinted so it is most difficult to recognize the driver in any event. If tinted windows get banned – as I believe they should – then I would insist that here as well drivers should do their driving unmasked.
So – going back to the Citizenship Oath – I could go either way and would be prepared to defer to your collective judgment.
In regard to the other areas listed – I do not see much, if any, room for compromise.
As a Libertarian – the difference I see between wearing a Niqab at a Citizenship Ceremony and the other cases I have mentioned – is that in the case of the Niqab – the wearer only must answer to herself whereas in the other instances – others are or can be negatively impacted by her action.
As I see it…
‘K.D. Galagher’
