Stephen Harper's federal government has introduced legislation that will require veiled Muslim women to reveal their faces prior to voting.
Dave at Galloping Beaver calls it bare-faced racism. I agree.
Not so long ago, on January 20, 2005, the women of Iraq turned out for a historic vote, many veiled, all purple-fingered. It was hailed by conservatives at the time as a monumental victory for democracy and women's rights in the Middle East.
Purple fingers and heady moments, indeed.
Apparently those are long forgotten, as this proposed legislation gives Canadian Muslim women the proverbial middle finger.
Once again, a solution without a problem.
Pandering to xenophobia is not the Canadian way.
Stephane Dion should delay this bill. And then defeat it.
CBC has the story:
The Conservative government introduced legislation Friday to force all voters — including veiled Muslim women — to show their faces for identification before being allowed to vote in federal elections.
Conservative House leader Peter Van Loan introduced the proposed amendment to the Canada Elections Act, which was promised in the Tories' Oct. 16 throne speech.
The proposed amendment makes a limited exception for any voter whose face is swathed in bandages due to surgery or some other medical reason.The Tories were furious over a decision by Elections Canada to allow Muslim women to vote with their faces covered by burkas or niqabs during three Quebec byelections in September.
"During the recent byelections in Quebec, the government made it clear that we disagreed with the decision by Elections Canada to allow people to vote while concealing their face," Van Loan said.
"That is why … we committed to introducing legislation to confirm the visual identification of voters."
- Garry J. Wise, Toronto
Visit our Toronto Law Firm website: www.wiselaw.net
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5 comments:
The idea that someone can vote without properly identifying themselves is patently absurd. It is not racist to require someone to show their face; it is simply a requirement to participate in today's society. Can these women get into bars, purchase cigarettes or lottery tickets without showing photo ID? Should they be able to? Are they required to show their face if pulled over by a police officer? Why should anyone be allowed to circumnavigate basic principles of our society because in their previous society they are not allowed to participate?
Women in Islamic countries who wear veils over their faces do not have the ability to vote or drive.
In Iraq, as in many developing democracies, there is no standard identification system. Instead, they use some standard mark (in Iraq's case, purple fingers) to identify those who have already voted.
The proposed bill does not change in any way the triumph that was the Iraq election. It is a different society, with different values, and, most importantly, has no standard system by which people may be identified. Canada is a far wealthier country, and has standard identification systems. If we were to dye our voter's fingers purple, this law would be unnecessary. As it stands, it is very necessary.
The Netherlands has had some bad experiences with men impersonating veiled women, as has France. They, unlike many North Americans, do understand the threat that is posed by the regression of culture.
Right on, R.G.
Now if we can just get Parliament to take up the pressing issue of Grandma who, when she's been at the cooking sherry, again, constantly argues that it's only the want of wheels that prevents her hiring on as a bus.
Thus, solving all our transport woes.
Good thinnin' Bobalooey.
Random_guy, the point is that our laws do not require photo ID to vote. You can even vote by mail. What is the point of showing your face and then presenting the required ID which doesn't have a photo? This bill is to serve one purpose only, to ensure that Muslim women who wear a veil and vote in person are required to remove it. The bill is not making photo ID mandatory or eliminating mail-in ballots.
Muslim women are happy to remove their face coverings for government purposes which require it (applying for or using photo identification) and a number of such women and various Muslim groups have even said they are happy to show they face to vote, just to make this whole issue disappear. But, the point, is why should they be required to, when there isn't any reason behind it? This is racism.
I'm not entirely sure if you left this out on purpose, but I read that there would be some endeavor towards provisions for the Muslim faith. i.e. that women be allowed to show their faces in booths to female officials, etc.
I am not really offering any opinion on the subject of whether it is racism or not, as I don't think any of your are Muslim--I certainly am not, and no-one here has asked any Muslim women if they mind, so debating it seems a little loose-ended, to me--but I just thought it was interesting that the amenities the government was reportedly trying to include were left out of the clipping.
I may, however, be unduly paranoid.
Thanks for your comment, Zombie.
You are right - the CBC article stated,
"Van Loan said Elections Canada may want to make it feasible for veiled Muslim women to uncover their faces behind a screen and in front of a female elections official."
Note the language: "may want to make it feasible..." as opposed to "shall be required to make it feasible.."
That tells us two things:
1) this accomodation it is not included in the legislation and is not legislatively guaranteed; and
2) The government is simply punting on the necessary accomodation, leaving it to the discretion of Elections Canada.
Thus the Harper government gets to look "tough" on this issue, and will be able to avoid responsibility by laying the blame on Elections Canada when the inevitable misunderstandings and disenfrachisement subsequently occur.
Again, can someone please tell us what the problem has been that required this legislative solution?
It is a subtle but direct attack on Muslim women - nothing more and nothing less - and the net result will be a lower likelihood that Muslim women will attend to vote.
Period.
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