dbd33

I don't think so. If the objection is to people not showing their faces then all facial concealment is an equal target; Halloween masks, balaclavas, whatever. If the objection is to women being Muslim in public then a better worded regulation is required, perhaps something to do with the textiles in use or the combination of facial covering and robes?

Shard

As it happens, full niqab is a fine Halloween costume so special provisions in the wording could be made to allow it on the 31st of October.

Jingsamichty

My objection is not to all facial concealment - as you point out, there are times when faces are reasonably concealed. My objection is to facial concealment at times when it is not reasonable by normal standards... when discussing your child's progress at a school parent's evening, when driving, when requiring to interact with other members of society etc. etc. etc.

I don't like the idea of people wandering around carrying guns, and I don't like the idea of people wearing veils. Both are decreed necessary for self-protection, by (mostly) male fundamentalists with a twisted view of the world.

dbd33

I'm not a fan of guns nor of veils but I'm not keen on legislation either. Carrying guns is an activity likely to cause immediate harm to people who have not chosen to participate and so, by my standard, warrants legislation. Dressing badly, not so much.

Almost Canadian

It wouldn't bother me, but I accept it may bother others. Flipping it one its head, what justification is there for the person wearing it to wear it, if it makes others uncomfortable (for whatever reason)?

dbd33

There's no right not to be made uncomfortable. Hipsters make me uncomfortable but I don't call for a ban on pomade. Chelsea fans make me uncomfortable but, if they're not actively hissing, they're free to go about their dubious business. All those people laying in the street with begging bowls make me uncomfortable but I don't demand that they be housed. People do make each other uncomfortable, it's how life works.

Shard

Why do hipsters make you uncomfortable? They're fairly docile in my estimation.

magnumpi

No one cares what the public think, they vote on this today and what will be will be !

dbd33

Why do veiled women make you uncomfortable? They're fairly docile in my estimation.

That's why we can't go around banning things that make us uncomfortable. Everyone is discomforted by something.

Almost Canadian

Would you use that same argument to require those that are not sure about their "gender" to have to use toilets that align with their "birth gender"?

I thought that assuaging everyone's discomfort was the new norm.

Shard

Well, unlike hipsters, they are veiled. But my objections to that mode of dress are far deeper than my own discomfort.

Oakvillian

I must confess I haven't read the detailed wording of the proposed amendment to Bill 62, but it strikes me as somewhat ridiculous in a province that gets so cold in wintertime to try to ban workers providing a public service from covering their faces while doing so. Presumably that means that garbage collectors and city-contracted snow removal operatives will not be allowed to cover their faces for the duration of their shift outside in -30 weather? I can see one or two potential issues with that once the first damages claim for frostbite comes in...

Oakvillian

Can you say "whataboutism"?

FFS get a grip.

Jingsamichty

Rightly or wrongly, we do not live in anarchy where anything goes. We live in society. That, by definition, implies social engagement, social interaction. Our society has developed on the basis of dealing with people face-to-face, and over the centuries we have arrived at a place where we try to treat everyone equally regardless of gender, race or whatever. To do that, we engage with each other, not encourage certain sectors to withdraw from society. Going out veiled to deal with society is a backward step.

I’m all for people doing whatever they want provided it causes no harm, but I believe that the veiling of women in public is a harmful step for society, especially given the misogynistic origin of the practice.

Shard

It's a step toward segregation isn't it. Very pleased Ofsted banned segregation of pupils in that Birmingham school last week. We have to stick up for our enlightened culture!