Kirpans: Should they be banned from Quebec's National Assembly?
* February 10, 2011
In the Sikh religion, it is forbidden to remove the kirpan, which is kept against the skin under clothing. (CBC)
By CBC News
Quebec's governing Liberals voted in favour of an opposition motion to ban ceremonial daggers from the provincial legislature.
The Parti Québécois tabled its motion Wednesday -- requesting the government prevent Sikhs from carrying their ceremonial daggers into the national assembly building -- and the legislature voted unanimously in favour.
The opposition motion comes a month after an incident in which four Sikhs invited to take part in a parliamentary hearing were barred from entering the legislature by the building's head of security.
Four members of the World Sikh Organization planned to testify in favour of the right of Muslim women to wear face coverings when receiving government services.
A new provincial bill would restrict that right.
Read more.
CBC Community member mia1965 agreed with the decision, but is uncomfortable with calling for a specific ban on kirpans. "I would simply prefer to let the laws and restrictions against potential weapons stand as is and simply be applied to all," the user wrote.
On the other hand, some people in the comments expressed their opinions on minority rights issues.
"I respect Quebec's secular values, but I think in this particular situation the harm they've done to their citizens outweighs any particular good they hope to achieve. This strikes me more as intolerance than secularization,"
The survey is at this link
http://www.cbc.ca/news/pointofview/...quebecs-national-assembly.html#socialcomments
* February 10, 2011
In the Sikh religion, it is forbidden to remove the kirpan, which is kept against the skin under clothing. (CBC)
By CBC News
Quebec's governing Liberals voted in favour of an opposition motion to ban ceremonial daggers from the provincial legislature.
The Parti Québécois tabled its motion Wednesday -- requesting the government prevent Sikhs from carrying their ceremonial daggers into the national assembly building -- and the legislature voted unanimously in favour.
The opposition motion comes a month after an incident in which four Sikhs invited to take part in a parliamentary hearing were barred from entering the legislature by the building's head of security.
Four members of the World Sikh Organization planned to testify in favour of the right of Muslim women to wear face coverings when receiving government services.
A new provincial bill would restrict that right.
Read more.
CBC Community member mia1965 agreed with the decision, but is uncomfortable with calling for a specific ban on kirpans. "I would simply prefer to let the laws and restrictions against potential weapons stand as is and simply be applied to all," the user wrote.
On the other hand, some people in the comments expressed their opinions on minority rights issues.
"I respect Quebec's secular values, but I think in this particular situation the harm they've done to their citizens outweighs any particular good they hope to achieve. This strikes me more as intolerance than secularization,"
The survey is at this link
http://www.cbc.ca/news/pointofview/...quebecs-national-assembly.html#socialcomments
