Speaking frankly...

Growing up Muslim in Canada is beginning to feel like living life as a
second class Canadian Citizen. As a Muslim, I grew up with values that
allowed me to cherish and respect Canadian values. But it also taught
me the inherent Canadian generosity and democratic principles that
respected my traditions, even if they were not always understood. One
such issue is the issue of wearing a niqab. No member of my family nor
my any of my immediate friends wear it. There is a great difference of
opinion among Muslim scholars whether niqab is mandatory for women to
wear it or not. In fact, if you speak with the women wearing the
niqab, often times one will find the male members of the family
opposing the niqab in conflict with their wives or daughters
insistence on wearing the niqab. This, regardless of what Mr. Kenney
would like to have us believe, is a complex issue even among Muslims.
This is not an issue about niqab. Women wearing the niqab understand
the importance of identification in courts and while obtaining
Canadian Citizenship or getting a Driver's licence. This is an issue
about tolerance and openness of our society. We do not have to accept
the niqab, but we can not ban it because we disagree with it. We must
accept that it is not a threat to our security if we know the women
have no problem removing the niqab for identification purposes. We
must also accept that this is a religious matter, and as Canadians,
even when we disagree with it, we tolerate and accept others right to
practice their religion so long as it does not harm us.

So much hate and harm is being done to the minority Muslim community in Canada, and while it is difficult to stand up for minority rights, history teaches us that those few who stood up for the minority were always remembered as heroes. History teaches us that sometimes the majority can be wrong. History teaches us that sometimes the majority can inflict extreme cruelty on the minority simply because the minority's traditions are viewed as 'barbaric'. But history also teaches us that with respect, tolerance, and understanding there are no issues we can't solve peacefully. If we have learnt anything from history, I hope it is that we can solve issues through dialog, respect and tolerance, even at the height of disagreement.