In the wake of an unwanted legal battle with the Harper government, Mississauga, Ontario resident Zunera Ishaq finally gets the right to take the Oath of Canadian citizenship, just in time to vote in the federal election
A Brief Commentary by NAL publisher Doug Draper
I just happened to have CBC’s National News channel on this October 9th as images were being shown of Zunera Ishaq taking the Oath of Citizenship just minutes after the ceremony actually took place in her adopted hometown of Mississauga, Ontario.
You may very well know by now that Zunera Ishaq is the woman who has been fighting what one can only hope is the outgoing Conservative government of Stephen Harper to where a facial veil, known as a niqab, during the citizenship ceremony.
Fortunately for her, Canada’s courts upheld her wish to be sworn in as a Canadian in time to vote in this coming October 19th election – something she said she is very much looking forward to do in a country she and her family have embraced as their home.
You could see Zunera Ishaq’s eyes turn wet and she sounded quite emotion as she talked about how hard it has been to become an unwilling figure in whatever cultural war Harper and company are waging in their divide-and-conquer bid for another four years in power.
It can most certainly be said that if Zunera Ishaq has been willing to run such an ugly gantlet so that she is in a position to vote on October 19th, then there is no excuse for most of the rest of us not to cast a ballot in what may be the most important federal election in Canada in decades.
Like a weasel on crack that won’t stop ripping away at others’ flesh, the Harper gang has already threatened to launch another appeal through the courts to keep the case around this brave young woman and the wearing of a niqab at oath-taking or swearing-in ceremonies going.
And in a thinly-veiled (pun intended) attempt to keep the fear among the xenophobic segment of their supporters going, the Harper and his minions have neglected to say that a woman has to remove the veil so she can be fully identified by an officer of government prior to the ceremonies.
The Harper government’s relentless pounding away on this, is the definition of insanity and hopefully it will no longer have the mandate to pursue it after October 19th.
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Niagara At Large 
Yes, Congratulations! The eyes being “the windows to the soul”, we’re glad you didn’t hide those anyway. We’re also relieved that you were taking the oath of Canadian Citizenship and not robbing a branch of the Big 5. I’m not one for total exposure, but I cannot justify the legitimacy of NOT showing one’s face, at any time, whether owing to oppression or conviction, in this country, particularly during occasions both solemn and sacred in the Canada I’m proud and happy to be a citizen of. It seems we’re being taken out at the niqabs / kneecaps.
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This whole episode was a tempest in a tea cup, the politics of divide and conquer has worked in the past, who cares if 2 people want to hide behind a veil. The money expended so far is ridiculous .
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I’m no fan of niqabs. I think them physically dangerous and gender repressive. (I recall a woman who died when her burqa was caught in an escalator in Montreal and women have been struck by cars due to blocked peripheral vision caused by niqabs.) Head scarves are fine, one’s features are visible. People must have some form of photo identification and showing one’s face obligatory at times (driver’s licences/passports). Otherwise, like a citizenship oath, who cares?
Eventually these trappings will go the way of the dodo just as previous generations of immigrants have blended in. Many second generation immigrants are rejecting things like face coverings and arranged marriages already. Whether we like it or not, more immigrants will be coming to our shores and they won’t all be blue eyed blondes or the religion of our choice.
Welcome Zunera. You seem to be a good and courageous woman. At least you want to vote which is more than many Canadians. We should be ashamed for #1 – Not voting and #2 – Even a worse sin, not educating ourselves on the issues in order to vote responsibly! The chickens often vote for Colonel Saunders and against their best interests.
As Mr Jardine said, this is simply a divide and conquer diversionary tactic and it works. My hope is that sensible people will get fed up with dirty politics (most already are), see this tactic for what it is and it will result in a major backlash against Harper as it should. There are a helluva lot more important issues being totally ignored.
Why have the opposition parties not painted the airwaves with the REAL issues and the rampant corruption and secretiveness of our recent government? It should be GLOVES OFF! Why isn’t it? This reminds me of the polite Democrats in the US who are perpetually slandered with all kinds of false allegations and slurs by the vicious Republicans (like the eternal “birther” nonsense that idiots still believe). Of course the same interests are backing the Republicans North (the CONservative party).The press isn’t nearly as critical as it should be either….except for Niagara at Large. Of course most of the press has been bought up by shysters like Murdoch and his minions who represent commerce above all.
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LInda
Mel Hurtig has a wonderful documentary entitled “Who Killed Canada” and He along with skilled journalists such as Lawrence Martin and Michael Harris
(No not the goof) have written extensively on this very subject, outlining the total lack of scrutiny and laws that allow this HARPER person to assume in my opinion a style or role the resembles that of a sick Sociopath.
Yes LInda we have watched the shenanigans that flood the media in the U.S.A.and we are equally aware of the migration of this scurrilous methodology as it creeps it way into our country and into our political systems.
The Canadian Corporate controlled media fails to inform people of all the facts concerning the “Niqab” and HARPER with this assistance is attempting to build this fiasco into a vital election topic of gravity. Was this failure intentional and if so why would the Corporate community engage in such a sordid and negative means to sabotage an already sabotaged election?
I, years ago, gave up reading and or watching any media that is owned and controlled by Corporate interests knowing the history of the corporate origin as a business form and their rise to having more rights than the citizens of Canada and the U.S.A.
Doug I thank you for the ink you give to this subject and the fact that your words are open to and for discussion as long as the commenters identifies
himself or herself in a responsible manner.
We the people cannot afford to allow this “Judas” to continue to control our fabulous country.
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Thank you Mr Somers.
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I grew up in wartime UK and all of my female relatives worked in industry, just like Rosie the riveter they wore bandanas , Russian women favoured the babushka these kept their hair out of machinery and getting killed, head scarves in my opinion are nice and certainly not threatening, we had many women bare their breasts to get a law changed, maybe it’s time for the sisterhood to fight back at Stephen Harper.
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