National Council Canadian Muslims and Ihsaan Gardee

Quebec judge: But while none went so far as to suggest the Quebec judge decision was a direct reflection of that attitude, it natural to want to draw a connection, one Muslim organization said Friday. "The recent debate around citizenship oaths has unnecessarily muddied the waters and this latest incident in Quebec further reinforces this," Ihsaan Gardee, the executive director of the National Council of Canadian Muslims, said in a statement. "Our elected leaders at all levels of government must uphold Canada constitutional values and work to bring Canadians together rather than play politics." Harper recently described as "offensive" the notion that a person would cover their face with a niqab while swearing the oath of citizenship, according to Huffington Post Canada. Citizenship and Immigration Minister Chris Alexander went further in a subsequent email to Conservative supporters, urging them to sign an online petition in support of Harper remarks; he suggested Muslim women should not be allowed to take the oath while wearing a hijab, which covers the head but not the face. Critics are accusing the Conservative government of fostering a combative attitude towards Islam that reflected in legislation, party fundraising and public remarks by senior Tories, including Prime Minister Stephen Harper. On Friday, a spokesman for the prime minister said the hijab ought to be allowed in the Quebec case. "If someone is not covering their face, we believe they should be allowed to testify," Stephen Lecce said in an email. Protecting minority rights is a cornerstone of Canada democracy, Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau said Friday in condemning the Quebec court decision. "The fact that in this situation — in a courtroom of all places — someone fundamental rights weren't respected is absolutely unacceptable, and we expect that there will be consequences," he said. One Saskatchewan Conservative went further. "Wow, a headscarf is enough to get you kicked out of a Quebec courtroom " MP David Anderson wrote on Twitter. "What happening to religious freedoms " Both the New Democrats and Liberals agreed. "I think the judge in this case made a mistake and I expect this individual to be given a full and proper hearing in short order," NDP Leader Tom Mulcair said in Toronto. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.