Comments on: Muslim women should unveil faces to vote

By: Faces Of The Nation

Faces Of The Nation — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 23:11:49 +0000

Muslim women should unviel faces only if they feel comfortable doing it. That is fine. Muslim women are some of the most beautiful women in the world, and I would love to see them more often, but if they don't want to unveil their faces then don't make them.

By: JM

JM — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 18:42:07 +0000

"and how do you get a drivers license or a passport without showing your face?"

You can't (at least I don' think so). But that's probably because the regulations say that a photo needs to be taken and the type of photo is specified.

They didn't do that for voting. They just assumed that the photo would be used to check the identity. The legislation should have been more clear.

By: Kim Siever

Kim Siever — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 14:50:47 +0000

why should I be punished because someone does not celebrate Christmas?

You're not being punished. If you want a pageant celebrating a Christian holiday, contact a Christian church about putting one one.

because they are traditions that have been in placed for many many generations

And yet, Western tradition superseded those of the First Nations who populated the country before us. If we're going to argue about keeping something because of traditions, then maybe it is the white people who should be living on reserves.

Society evolves. If we accept that the first nations had to accept the changes in the nation's society 100 years ago, so we, too, must accept the way our society is changing now. We cannot clamour for the preservation of our current (or recently previous) society when that society nearly wiped out that of another people. Unless of course we're die hard hegemonists. But one would think we've advanced beyond 19th-century imperialism.

Schools are state schools not religious schools.. why are they allowed to not have to sing the Canadian Anthem at school assembly?

What would be served in forcing people to sing the national anthem?

By: Sally

Sally — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 05:12:23 +0000

because they are traditions that have been in placed for many many generations.. why should I be punished because someone does not celebrate Christmas?? On the same thought, the Canadian anthem is said in school once a week where the students have to stand and sing the anthem. Some students do not have to. This is allowed. Schools are state schools not religious schools.. why are they allowed to not have to sing the Canadian Anthem at school assembly? It doesn't fit your reply to my earlier post.

By: Kim Siever

Kim Siever — Tue, 11 Sep 2007 23:21:04 +0000

fair to who?

Everyone. The state should be separate from religion, and in state-sponsored schools, this includes religious holidays. The school is in the business of providing an education, not in promoting religion. Especially a single religion. Either promote them all, or promote none of them.

Likewise, I don't see why a school not showing Christmas pageants would take away from one's religious beliefs.

By: Sally

Sally — Tue, 11 Sep 2007 22:33:33 +0000

and how do you get a drivers license or a passport without showing your face? You can't always guarantee there will be a female authority figure there. As in treating all religious holidays the same.. fair to who? We are not the same though.. that is the big difference. Do you realize how many people are in this country alone that are NOT Canadian and have no intentions of ever becoming Canadian? Why should something that has been a part of my tradition and my values and my beliefs get thrown out the window to accommodate someone who won't even attempt to learn at least one of our two official languages?

By: Kim Siever

Kim Siever — Tue, 11 Sep 2007 21:05:54 +0000

Which is precisely what EC said. There was apparently no requirement in what they received from Parliament that every voter needed to show his/her face; only that photo ID needed to be presented.

By: dpc

dpc — Tue, 11 Sep 2007 21:03:37 +0000

The response lag can be explained by the legislation passed by Parliament and the regulations enacted by Elections Canada. It is the perogative of the executive branch of government to determine how legislation will be implemented. If there is a disconnect between what Parliament wanted and what Elections Canada is implementing, the legislation must have been ambiguous and poorly drafted.

By: Kim Siever

Kim Siever — Tue, 11 Sep 2007 19:21:48 +0000

Making those changes would be going against their religious principles.

Their religious principles prevent them from unveiling in front of men. They could easily unveil in private, in front of women officiators.

Of course our Christian religious principles didnâ€t count when school Christmas pageants were all canceled because some did not celebrate Christmas.

Likewise, the schools don't celebrate Hanukkah or Ramadan. It's only fair they treat all religious holidays equally.

By: Sally

Sally — Tue, 11 Sep 2007 18:26:33 +0000

It'll never go through anymore then it went through when it went to session for those wearing turbans be allowed to NOT have to wear helmets when riding motorcycles, or be allowed to carry their knives to school even in schools that have a no weapons policy. Making those changes would be going against their religious principles. Of course our Christian religious principles didn't count when school Christmas pageants were all canceled because some did not celebrate Christmas.