International Religious Freedom: Sikh Turbans

Tory Mp Dept: But it can get tricky on the domestic front. Consider Quebec’s proposed Bill 94, which would curtail access to education and health care to women wearing niqabs . Will the new Office of Religious Freedom assail this practice? Will it highlight the inconsistency of legislation that forbids niqabi women from voting, yet allows mail-in votes? Earlier this year, Tory MP Steven Blaney was set to introduce such legislation by way of a private member’s bill , with the full endorsement of Citizenship and Immigration Minister Jason Kenney. It remains to be seen whether the Conservatives will push this bill forward; doing so would certainly dampen their credibility on religious freedom overseas, according to Globe And Mail. As this office takes shape, it should look at the U.S. State Department’s Office of International Religious Freedom. According to its website, this office, established in 1998, “monitors religious persecution and discrimination worldwide, recommends and implements policies in respective regions or countries, and develops programs to promote religious freedom.” It co-operates closely with the independent U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, which recently received a large funding boost and consider the domestic front. Many recoil at the thought of government promotion of religion, arguing that a secular government has no business doing so. Yet, the government guarantees religious freedom in Canada through the Charter of Rights. So, proponents argue, why not extend this Canadian value to our foreign policy? Will the new office issue critical reports of countries friendly to Canada that trample on religious freedom? The French ban on religious headgear hijabs , Sikh turbans, kippahs in public schools and niqabs in public comes to mind. As reported in the news.
@t globe and mail, steven blaney