Thursday, November 01, 2007
A new draft law has been submitted by the Canadian government requiring Muslim women to lift their face veils if they wish to vote (http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=29048§ionid=3510212 ). The proposed law is supposedly an attempt to deter voter fraud. It makes an exception for facial bandages--they do not have to be removed, but the bandaged would be voter has to show 2 forms of ID and/or have another person vouch for them. So why can't veiled women do the same?
How many veiled Muslim women are there? Not all Muslim women wear the hijab and veil.
Would it make a difference if the law was asking men to do something as opposed to women?
What is the instance of voter fraud?
Here in the US of A, its very, very, very low, for instance and its not veiled women or illegal aliens who are voting--we are lucky if we can get American citizens to register to vote , less than 80% of the total population who are eligible to vote are registered, and then exercise their right to vote--less than 60% of the 80% registered actually turn up at the polls, and that's for a major election!
Two weeks ago I heard the historian Joan Scott read from her new book The Politics of the Veil
(Princeton University Press, 2007) about the French law banning religious symbols/garb in public schools. She said less than 100 girls wore the hijab when the law was passed...what is actually happening???
How many veiled Muslim women are there? Not all Muslim women wear the hijab and veil.
Would it make a difference if the law was asking men to do something as opposed to women?
What is the instance of voter fraud?
Here in the US of A, its very, very, very low, for instance and its not veiled women or illegal aliens who are voting--we are lucky if we can get American citizens to register to vote , less than 80% of the total population who are eligible to vote are registered, and then exercise their right to vote--less than 60% of the 80% registered actually turn up at the polls, and that's for a major election!
Two weeks ago I heard the historian Joan Scott read from her new book The Politics of the Veil
(Princeton University Press, 2007) about the French law banning religious symbols/garb in public schools. She said less than 100 girls wore the hijab when the law was passed...what is actually happening???
Labels: Muslim women, veiling, voting rights
