The niqab at the dinner table
Re: The Anxiety, Not Fear, Campaign, Andrew Coyne, Oct. 8. In discussions around the dinner table in our home, we do not think the niqab is compatible with Canadian values — values of openness, tolerance and freedom. The question thus became, “What do you do in a tolerant society with those who are intolerant?” We as a society allow others to arrive with their beliefs and ideals, but what if they are not compatible with our beliefs and values? When do Canadians draw the line and stop tolerating the intolerant?
No one is forced to come to Canada: a choice is made to accept Canada and Canadian values as one’s own. To arrive at the ceremony and decide that one aspect of “Canadiana” is incompatible with their beliefs should be a red flag that Canada is not a country for them to choose. These are not xenophobic fears of the “other,” these are concerns that deeply offend the sense of right and wrong that make Canadian society what it is.
Wade and Sheila Pearson, Calgary. Our Canadian press has written extensively on the wearing of this garment and their puzzlement of why regular Canadians insist on stopping this practice. Am I the only one who has noticed that not one single writer has brought up the names of the girls and women who have died here, in Canada, because they would not wear it? Please allow me to honour them with the printing of their names: The Shafia children, Zainab, Sahar and Geeti, along with Rona Amir Mohammed. Aqsa Parvez. Noutene Sidime. This letter is for you.
Karen Turner, Mission, B.C. Your commentators and editorial writers can’t seem to understand why Canadians overwhelmingly support banning the niqab. Obviously, these writers never understood grass fires either: Two men and a dog can put out a small grass fire, but when it spreads out, speeds up and gets into the tree line, an entire fire department can’t get it out. Prime Minister Harper is exactly correct in trying to stamp out this particular fire while he still can.
Frank Hilliard, Penticton, B.C. Re: The Evolution Of Neurosis, Jonathan Kay, Oct. 9. I disagree with Jonathan Kay’s assertion that the niqab issue is a trivial matter not worthy of debate in the midst of a Canadian federal election. The niqab gets to the core of Canadian identity and the limits (if any) of Canadian goodwill and accommodation. An overwhelming majority of Canadians are proud of the welcoming society they have created, however they regard the niqab as a different symbol that they are not willing to accommodate. This matter should not be trivialized by the likes of Mr. Kay or others in the media.
Gordon Akum, Toronto.