Rex Murphy | The Niqab Debate 

I find it totally disrespectful to me as a human being. I don't give a shit what people wear on their heads, but I do find it vulgar when someone walks around in my community with a covered face. It is barbaric, sexist and down right scary. This person came to the West and demands respect and at the same time negating respect for every Canadian in her path. Odious. Just odious.

RIP, you were the best journalist in Canadian history. Very witty and well researched, thank you for your service to this great country. You showed all sides of the political spectrum and I thank you for that.

Anyone covering their face during such an important ceremony is NOT a citizen of that country and should be left behind!

Welcome to Canada...leave your religion at the door.

My question is if I was becoming a citizen in a majority Muslim country but then demanded to opted out of part of the indoctrination ceremony because of personal beliefs, would they still allow me to become a citizen?

She should NOT be allowed to wear it at the ceremony. Period. If she can wear that, then I should be allowed to wear a thong and nipple tassels at a ceremony like that.

That's what happens when you don't assimilate. .there is room for but one set of laws in Canada. PUTIN said it best. """ Russia doesn't need immigrants. Immigrants need russia """ either you assimilate in Russia or you don't go....and ask yourself why hasn't diversity worked in the middle east...and why do these people have no go zones..when they start having no go zones in Canada what will happen then

Dear Rex Murphy: On behalf of all Canadians you are an excellent commentator.

Voices of reason and sobriety are so rare in our society...

They tell Canadians that they wear it for their religion, but the real reason is because their men can’t control themselves in public and KEEP IT IN THEIR PANTS. So to me, I feel it’s a real insult to every man in Canada, b/c in essence wearing one says my man doesn’t trust ANY man from seeing their women’s nude face.

WE HAVE TO FOLLOW ANY OTHER COUNTRY RULES IF WE MOVE THERE, WHY CANT THEY FOLLOW THE NORM HERE

Finally! Except for one point. They have to be able to see that you are taking the oath, which they can't do if your face is covered.

Trudeau is playing politics with this issue. Rex is right! If you want to be a citizen, you have to conform to common customs and values. We SEPARATE church and state.

This is Canada......It shouldn't be an imposition to anyones' faith or custom to show ones' face when taking the Canadian citizenship oath. If you don't agree don't take the citizenship oath........simple.

I used to agree with Nenshi when he said this, now I disagree. And I think more people will as more and more Niqabs become common and not an abstract idea thought about from a far. It pains me as a civil libertarian to say this, but do you think that a person whose face is always fully covered, with only a slit for their eyes could ever successfully integrate into the community and make friends with others, become a coworker or otherwise ever lead a normal life -- with their face constantly covered?! Of course not. It's absurd to suggest otherwise. Most communication is non-verbal and humans communicate through our eyes and our faces. Most Canadians do not care about Jagmeet wearing a turban, or his long facial hair, because they can still see his face and frame what he says through an identity that is distinctly him. Ditto with a women wearing a hijab: her face is perserved. Ban the Niqab, but encourage tolerance for the hijab. It could even moderate the radicals

As usual, Murphy says it brilliantly.

Excellent presentation as usual Rex. Having said that, "When in Rome..."

What's wrong with becoming a CANADIAN the way we as CANADIANS want you to accept CANADA??

Man. I'm surprised the CBC keeps this guy. He calls for conversation. That is way to centrist for the CBC.

It's is a particularly backward practice. This is an embarrassment to their religion and themselves. I don't really care, however, because it lets me identify backward thinkers without having to talk to them to find out - their dress code screams: Hey I'm from the middle ages! So it's a win win either way.

It should also be noted that through intuition, years of experience and observation we as humans analyse the whole facial expression to see if someone is telling the truth, is mad, happy, etc. This is a very important evolutionary ability. I would never deal with anybody if I can't see their face. Or lives have often depended on the ability to discern someones true attitude by reading their face. -- The niqab is also emotional perjury.

From a religious point of view the NIqab isn't mandatory. They shouldn't be wearing it.

The "Niqab issue" affects about 12 women each year. And as Rex pointed out, these women must show their face during the identification process. Why let 12 women each year determine your vote? Furthermore, it is an issue that is not even able to be resolved by this Election, as it is a matter that goes to the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court has already ruled that it is unconstitutional to force a woman to remove her Niqab. So, go with what the Supreme Court has ruled. Or, try to get the decision reversed and fail horribly. Stephen Harper purposely brought this issue up to create division during an Election, and gain votes, even though he knows damn well that he has no say in this decision.

... yeah, but they're muslims, and muslims are super special, so they need to have special privileges in every situation.

Perfectly said rex... even in egypt they not allowed to wear hijabs esp on election day

Canada-apply by mail, 30 million Canadians will take care of the 1 or 2 billion people who would like to apply and then do what you want when you get here since Canadians are diverse. If you are educated or rich please don't worry about Canada sucking the life out of the country you came from.

so can i start a religion and wear a hockey mask all the time without being arrested or questioned?

Rex Murphy the human fog machine. Come children, lets watch him fill up the room with nonsense . CANADIAN CHARTER OF RIGHTS AND FREEDOMS 2. Everyone has the following fundamental freedoms: (a) freedom of conscience and religion;

what if the individual is missing half of their face? do you still want to force them to show it? the point is, in Canada, we hold our freedoms in very high regard. that includes freedom of religion. suggesting to a new citizen that their rights don't count is not the kind of message that this Canadian wants to hear coming from our government.

Well said.

I HATE how this has become the defining point of what is such an important election in Canadian history. Absolutely irrelevant to the effective governing of our country.

As usual well said Rex, honestly this is just common sense why this is an issue is beyond what I can comprehend not our values and why accommodate for something that goes against our beliefs, no one should feel like they have to cover their face in a democratic society.

Well said Rex Murphy.

today majority of Canadians are wearing face masks in public some places require!

Rex always with amazing perspective.

Dear Rex ,they made me take my wooden shoes off .lol I would have come in bare feet it that's what it would take. I was invited as a guest in Canada house. Try to deserve it every day.

WHY NOT GO ALONG WITH THIS FACE COVERING? EVERY CANADIAN SHOULD COVER THEIR FACES LIKE OUR IMMIGRANTS JUST TO SEE IF THE SAME LAWS APPLY TO EVERYONE OR JUST MUSLIMS.

The country is honoured and privileged to welcome newcomers; newcomers are honoured and privileged to join the country. It has to work both ways.

That's fine for Rex to say, since he's not part of a culture that places any value in the niqab. I'm no fan of the niqab either, but how is it standing up for women's rights to tell women that they have to forego citizenship if they want to stay true to their religious beliefs? Keep in mind we're not talking about honour killing or female genital mutilation. No one else is being harmed by the choices of these women. Perhaps we should be guided in this instance by John Stuart Mill's liberal harm principle: let people do what they want if it doesn't harm others. No Canadian is being harmed by a niqab at a citizenship ceremony. We have a Charter of Rights and Freedoms for precisely this reason. If we are so scandalized by the presence of these women in public life, then that says more about us as a society than it says about them. Rex, Stephen, and Jason, please stop demonizing poor women who want to become Canadian citizens just because they dress a little differently.

A NON ISSUE, FOR NON ISSUE POLITRICKS, NOTHING WILL GET DONE IN THE HOUSE.

Fortunately the vast majority of women l deal with from Iran dress as Western women, at least in public, & are generally polite, well spoken, easy to deal with.

Re the niqab. I want to become a citizen of Iran, and I insist on the right to dress in shorts and halter top in public because that is how I feel most comfortable.

min 0:35 "executing a profound transition in patriotic allegiance" wouldnt bet the farm on it, Rex m'boy.

Very succinctly put!

it seems nutty that basically every politican & journalist has to have a bloody opinion on this instead of just letting the 2 women who wanted to wear them to the ceremony or the judges who look at them & their identification before the ceremony (that like 3 homebread canadians ever show up to watch at any given time) say their piece before every white person & their dog sounds off on this. if i hear another man telling a woman what they can or cannot wear for any reason i will straight up go join ISIS. the first woman to lead an air force squadron is running in my riding & instead of doing things to give her the attention she deserves & the past decade she has spent fighting for families of veterans who have been injured or the families or those who have died or have been given a hard time after their son or daughter committed suicide, we get this bidnaz... over and over and over with man after man after man making excuses for why they feel like they should get to tell a woman what she shouldn't wear to a ceremony they likely have not and will never attend. how bout anyone who has ever had a publicized or broadcasted opinion on this go to at least ONE citizenship ceremony first (which are kinda lame to begin with... it's like 20 minutes of parliamentary, antiquated baloney before everyone goes and eats cake), and listen to the 2 women who wanted to wear bed sheets with hole cut in them on their feelings about uber-modesty and why men have to earn the right to see their sexy, sexy faces, before they use a public-funded broadcaster to share a predictable opinion from a predictable source (white, baby boomer male with an above average vocabulary).

Seriously, who gives a shit about this anymore? This happened weeks ago. Just forget it like we forget everything else that fills us with overwhelming temporary rage.

A talking head will blab about religious freedoms, then in the next sentence blab about civil rights. The talking head will avoid ever talking about when they come into direct conflict.

Okay, so she took the oath pledging allegiance to the Queen of England (and to the Canadian Government). It means now that she's loyal to the rulers of our country , right? (It means that if the government wants to raise taxes or pass certain laws, she is obliged by law and by her word to pay those taxes and obey those laws). Now, what if the Canadian government demands that she shows her face in a certain public situation (how about while driving a car)? Will she do it? She gave her word. If not, then, where exactly does she stands when it comes to her allegiances? Another question: why is it that we don't hear of the Muslim community about this issue? Because it is confusing to non-Muslims: some Muslim women use a burqa, others a niqab, others a viel yet others nothing covering their hair or face? What is it that makes one Muslim woman don a burqa and another Muslim woman show her face and hair? Is it because one is Shia and the other is Sunni? Are there many different Islamic denominations with different practices? We, the Canadian public, don't know and this lack of knowledge is what, the way I see it, feeds the beast of discrimination and prejudice against Muslims.

Hey Rex, you are aware that the NEW CITIZEN has just learned that the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms ALREADY gives her the right to wear the niqab. You want to OPEN the EXISTING law to ERASE the rights from how few women? Shame on you. Go retire already. You're what is wrong with human rights issues in this world. How dare you offer respect to EVERYONE except these few women? Seriously?

Canadian laws if they don't like it leave practice your faith not a problem but our laws are fare not unfair

not saying I always agree with him but felt he was always Fair made me change my point of views several times and letting calling in give their views

right on.....

secular laws should over ride religious and other but in a place where the prime minstrel finds excuses to be above the law, all laws are debatable

I see lots of people in the neighbourhood on bmx's and masks, nothing new.

40 seconds in and I find Rex's tone unbearably heavy and I'm sure it goes on to be patronizing as usual. Nothing is an issue until someone makes it into one. Live and let live. Breathe.

Rex has a genius for common sense and focusing the viewer's attention to what is important. I can't recall a bad commentary off hand!!

Proud Canadian niqabi ❤️❤️❤️

I,d cover her face with something especialy if near a barn

Wonder if Rex sees Lynton's dead cat now?

Our country had no problem with any nationality however the people that have been beheading each other under allah forever because Allah hasn't been a good god... so we're offer them safety and a new way of life yet they can't assimilateand want special privileges... do you think they're govt would do the same for you or me besides telling them your a Christian

Rex, when did you start your consulting practice? One week you're telling us that the politicians are gaming us on the niqab issue and the next week you choose to bring it up to stoke the flames of an already contentious debate. You can't have it both ways? Can we discuss the turban and kirpan next week? Maybe the yarmulke or the catholic cross? We need to have these irrelevant discussions in the middle of a federal election because they really make a difference to .......You know what? They make a difference to nothing. I have no clue who they make a difference to. Old-stock Canadians? Real Canadians? We like to pretend we like multiculturalism in this country. If a woman chooses to wear a niqab in her day to day life, so be it. It can only enrich my life by learning to interact with her respectfully and expand my horizons. During the citizenship ceremony? Even better! This country is strong and free because we celebrate our differences. If a woman needs to go into a room to speak with the female officiant presiding over the citizenship ceremony, so be it. What are we losing as a nation by being open to this?

Rex is just mailing it in these days. Time to retire dude.

It is simply a matter of Canada being a multicultural society,,,,,it is this persons culture to cover her face in public, the ceremony is a public event. Her identity has been proven, and it is not a matter of security. If a person was raised culturally to cover there face in public, and thus that's what they feel comfortable with, and given that it's not an identity or security issue, and that Canada has declared itself as a multicultural society, to deny a person the right to observe this cultural manner would indeed be unjust, and the courts are right in this matter.

No to the face mask. It's just wrong

She's not asking to be "accommodated". She's asking to be not discriminated against. Non-discrimination is not "special treatment". It's actually the opposite: no especially mean treatment of people based on their religion or ethnicity or choice of dress or whatever.

WHY ARE YOU PEOPLE IN OUR CLOSETS?

Rex should retire

lmao we dont get mad at you for wearing booty shorts but if we want to cover up its a problem????

@Vance Joudrey Obviously false if niqabs exist.

How is this guy still a thing?

this is canada. leave your xenophobic bigotry at the door. no one here has the right to tell that young woman how to dress. canada is multicultural. that means we might not all dress alike. and why should we. there is no uniform code for civilians and suggesting we adopt one is out of line.

I am not sure if there is a dress code for Citizenship Ceremony. Is it more around revealing dress or too much of covering is addressed as well. Definitely Niqab is not a security issue and rather a dress code issue, if any.Respect is a matter of cultural learning as some behaviours are respectful in one culture while disrespectful in another. I am not sure if Niqab has ever been categorized in the Canadian culture, as we know it so far. as either. Remember we change and must change our culture, and value systems as we progress. I suppose Niqab is one of them. Maybe one day wearing thong and nipple tassels would be accepted as well, can't wait for that day:)

Make up is a face covering, shall we ban that too?

I'm MUSLIM and I don't agree with them bc ISLAM recommendations that everyone should be recognized by faces or fingerprints Sunni muslims don't cover they faces entirely