Toronto Star:
Vowing to appeal a federal court decision that allows people to take the oath of citizenship while wearing face coverings, Prime Minister Stephen Harper says it’s “offensive” that someone would want to hide their identity “at the very moment where they are committing to join the Canadian family.”
“That is not the way we do things,” he told reporters in Victoriaville, Que., on Thursday.
“This is a society that is transparent, open and where people are equal, and I think we find that offensive.”
In a ruling last Friday, the Federal Court of Canada said it is “unlawful” for the federal government to mandate new citizens to remove the veil while taking the oath because it violates the country’s own immigration law, which gives citizenship judges the discretionary power to accommodate religious needs.
Categories: Americas, Canada, Women, Women's right