Canada's immigration minister announced Monday a ban on wearing face coverings such as burka and niqab veils when taking a citizenship oath. "Starting today, any individual will have to show his or her face when taking the oath of citizenship," Immigration Minister Jason Kenney told a press conference in Montreal.
"Allowing a group to hide their faces while they are becoming members of our community is counter to Canada's commitment to openness, equality and social cohesion," he explained. The minister cited complaints from citizenship judges and others who said it was difficult to ensure individuals whose faces were covered were really taking the oath.
The new rule largely targets Muslim women, but with a total Muslim population of only 500,000 in a country of 34.5 million and only a trickle of Muslim immigration it is not expected to have a large impact. Rather, it is widely viewed as another volley in a sometimes baneful public debate over veils in Canadian society.
Currently at airports, veiled Muslim women may opt to show their face only to a female security screener. They may also vote in elections without showing their face. However, veils may soon be banned at government workplaces in Quebec, as well as in schools, nurseries and hospitals. The province is considering legislation that would force people to show their face in government-funded institutions or to access public services. Canada's Supreme Court last week also heard arguments in a case where a Muslim woman wants to testify while wearing a niqab, pitting her right of religious freedom against her alleged rapist's right to face his accuser at trial.
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