Millions being spent on ‘ un- winnable’ appeal
Nenshi, Tory minister trade barbs over citizenship ceremony issue
Two of Calgary’s political heavy hitters are squaring off over the Conservative party’s handling of the niqab issue, while Alberta’s NDP premier worries minority rights are becoming a “political football” in the federal election campaign.
On Wednesday, Mayor Naheed Nenshi blasted the Tories for the federal government’s legal fight against a handful of Islamic women wearing the niqab face covering during citizenship ceremonies.
Canada’s first Muslim mayor of a big city argued it’s an “unbelievably dangerous,” politically motived game that is wasting taxpayers’ money.
But Jason Kenney, who introduced the niqab ban as citizenship and immigration minister, denied the Conservatives are using the issue to win votes. He said it’s “unfortunate that some politically correct liberals have rushed to the defence” of the niqab.
“If anything’s dangerous, it would be legitimizing a medieval tribal custom that treats women as property rather than people,” Kenney, running for re- election in Calgary Midnapore, said in an interview Thursday.
“It seems to me that it’s the mayor and people like him who are politicizing it. I don’t think this should be an issue of contention.”
Nenshi declined to speak to the Herald Thursday, but fired back at Kenney on Twitter.
“’ People like me,’ eh?’ “Let’s just assume ( Jason Kenney) means ‘ thoughtful people,’ shall we?” he tweeted, prompting the trending hashtag #PeopleLikeNenshi.
The Conservatives say the public is on their side and they have jumped in the polls since the niqab issue became prominent during the campaign, which will see voters cast their ballots Oct. 19.
Kenney, Canada’s multiculturalism minister, said Nenshi’s comments would have no impact on the election.
“We’re all used to Naheed’s running social commentary on everything. That’s nothing new,” said Kenney, federal defence minister.
In September, the Federal Court of Appeal sided with a previous lower court ruling that struck down a government policy banning face coverings during citizenship ceremonies.
It has cropped up during the campaign with the Conservatives promising to take the matter to the Supreme Court and, if elected, to turn the policy into law.
Alberta Premier Rachel Notley said Thursday she is concerned the niqab issue is creating division, but doesn’t want to “fire this up a whole lot more.”
“I am disappointed and troubled to see minority rights issues becoming political footballs in the election and I don’t think that’s helpful,” she said.
On Wednesday, Nenshi told radio host Evan Solomon there are so few woman actually affected by the niqab ban that it is an “issue that is absolutely relevant to zero of us.”
Yet, the mayor said, the Conservatives are spending millions of dollars of “yours and my money” on an “un- winnable appeal.”
“This is unbelievably dangerous stuff. It’s not fun anymore. I spoke with a group of mayors and councillors from all over Alberta last week … I stood up and said this is disgusting and it is time for us to say stop it — it’s time for us to say this is enough,” he said.
Nenshi noted the citizenship oath is ceremonial and that women unveil themselves and provide identification separately.
Earlier in the campaign, Nenshi criticized Stephen Harper’s Conservatives over what he said was an inadequate response to the Syrian refugee crisis. He told Solomon the issue had been “disgustingly politicized” and said the Conservative’s early focus on security concerns was “dog whistle politics.”
Mount Royal University political scientist Duane Bratt said Nenshi’s intervention could impact the campaign because of his national profile. “People listen to what he says outside of Calgary,” said Bratt. “He’s as secular a Muslim as you’re going to find, but he is a visible minority mayor of a major city.”
Laura Weston, NDP candidate in Calgary Midnapore, said there’s no doubt the issue is important, but suggested voters see it as a “transparent” ploy by the Conservatives.
“The beauty of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms is that it is not Mr. Kenney’s role to decide what is and what isn’t a valid religious practice,” she said.
Liberal Nirmala Naidoo said Kenney’s suggestion that women who wear niqabs were being forced to was “absolutely not the truth.”
“If they didn’t want to wear them, they wouldn’t be asking for permission to do it in citizenship ceremonies,” said Naidoo, the candidate in Calgary Rocky Ridge.