Compare and Contrast, part 4
May 22, 2008
So it appears that, at a cost of $5 million taxpayer dollars, Quebec has determined that the Islamic hijab is “no real threat to Quebec values,” despite acknowledging that it sometimes “signifies submission and oppression, pure and simple.”
Meanwhile, over in Ireland, people are a bit more sane:
If Muslim men are so keen on seeing their headscarf introduced into Irish society, they should wear it as well as their women. Let them cover up, too.
Otherwise there must be no place for the hijab in civic life here. Not in banks, hospitals or libraries, not in the guards or civil service and most definitely not in schools.
…
Here’s what banning the headscarf is about: the State demonstrating our belief in gender equality. It’s about removing a symbol of repression and submission. Showing we don’t condone marks of separation — either between men and women, Muslim and Christian, or native born and immigrant.
…
Today the hijab which covers the hair and shoulders, tomorrow the niqab or full-face veil, the day after the burqa hiding everything from tip to toe — described as a mobile prison by women obliged to wear it.
You can bet your bottom dollar Islam will complain about discrimination. That’s fine, we allow freedom of protest unlike many Islamic counties. But it is not discriminatory to ban the hijab in a country that is culturally Christian.
Conclusion: don’t move to Quebec. Move to Ireland.
