Muslim Canadian Congress wants government to legislate religious practice?

The Muslim Canadian Congress is calling on government to ban the burka and the niqab.

This really can be parsed as a group insisting that the government make other Muslims follow an aspect of their interpretation of Islam. Though the Congress insists Islam does not call for the practice, obviously others think differently.

The state has no place is doing this. Also, the Charter doesn't allow it from several angles (s2, s15).What a minefield if it did. Are we to decide what is and what isn't a legitimate part of a religion? If government starts telling people what they can't wear in private belief, will they not also start telling us what we must?


Unfortunately, the Congress asking for this this is going to be used by racists in a number of ways: They will charge that Muslim support the state repressing natural rights, such as the right to belief and act according to that belief. Muslims who speak out in favour of covering women's faces will be derided as un-Canadian, subject to the negative framing argument "Do we really want these extremists here?"

Finally, the Congress using public safety and security as a justification for banning them only fuels the racist fires that people following those customs are extremists who are a threat to this country. The Congress' intent here does not matter.

It is not illegal to wear a disguise, it is illegal to wear one while committing or planning a criminal offense. This distinction is most fortunate, given that Halloween is approaching.


As an atheist and as a supporter of equality rights, I have always found offense with the intent behind the burka and the niqab; however the state has no place legislating them out of existence.

I support the Muslim Canadian Congress' want to end this practice.

I would hope that the Congress instead would expend these efforts on getting government to better support social services designed to help women living in repressive circumstances to extricate themselves.

The Congress supported and extensively campaigned against Sharia law not being applied in family law tribunals in Ontario. They were right to do so. Racists made much of those tribunals, negatively framing them as "Muslims taking over." They will make much of this request as well.

I am interested in hearing from supporters of this demand.