Canadian opposition rejects Harper’s bid to ban Muslim veils

TORONTO: Canadian opposition leaders accused Conservative Prime Minister Stephen Harper of playing divisive politics in a recent French-language debate ahead of next month’s election.
Harper has been promoting a law to ban the practice of Muslim women wearing face veils while swearing the oath of citizenship. The anti-niqab law is popular in Quebec.
Polls say the Oct. 19 election is a three way toss-up. According to the CTV/Globe and Mail/Nanos Nightly Tracking Poll, the Liberals are at 31.5 percent while the leftist New Democrats are at 30.8 percent and the Conservatives at 30.5 percent. The margin of error for the survey of 1,200 respondents is 2.8 percent
Harper lost a court decision to ban the practice of wearing face veils while swearing the oath this month. He’s appealing to the Supreme Court.
Harper engaged in a heated exchange with New Democrat leader Tom Mulcair, who said Harper is playing a dangerous game of politics and trying to hide his record behind a niqab.
“Tackle the oppressor if you believe that there is oppression there,” Mulcair said, adding the prime minister was using the issue as a “weapon of mass distraction.”
Liberal leader Justin Trudeau said Harper is playing on fears and said men shouldn’t tell women how to dress, nor should government.