22 March 2010

The real issues behind the veil

.... It's more than simply a "when in Rome" question. The Canadian version of "when in Rome" involves a vastness of multicultural potential. When in Canada, you could happily wear a turban, a yarmulke, a headscarf, a tam o' shanter, a tuque, even a nun's wimple in public, and you'd fit right in.

Nobody cares what clothing you adopt here, or whether or not it reflects a particular religion or ethnic heritage. And no one thinks you should be told what you can or cannot wear. But that's not what the public face-covering debate is about.

While non-Muslims must leave the religious aspects of the discussion to Muslims (because there is apparently a sharp diversity of opinion on this within Muslim communities), other elements of the debate should be clear to everyone. [The Ottawa Citizen] Read more [via National Secular Society]