Give Tom Mulcair credit. He stuck to his guns last night on the question of niqabs. A native son, he is well aware of the xenophobic streak that runs through Quebec society -- and which is occasionally fanned by people like Maurice Duplessis, Lucien Bouchard, Gilles Duceppe and Stephen Harper.
Mr. Harper -- in all his hypocritical arrogance -- presents himself as a liberator of women. Justin Trudeau, however, pointed out that there are "more men in your caucus who oppose abortion than there are women in Quebec who wear the niqab." He then asked Harper if he favoured abortion for women. Harper, of course, refused to answer the question.
Michael Den Tandt writes:
Given an opportunity to hedge or fudge, Tom Mulcair stuck grimly to his defence of a woman’s right to wear the Islamic veil or niqab during a Canadian citizenship ceremony — though this stance appears to have cost him his lead in the polls and may in the end deny him victory on Oct. 19.
“A prime minister has an obligation to protect all citizens, including minorities,” he told Stephen Harper during a prolonged four-way exchange about the niqab at the French-language debate. “What you are doing is unworthy of a prime minister.”
Unworthy of a prime minister and completely lacking in courage. Mulcair's stand will not help him in Quebec. Harper has touched an ugly nerve -- not just in Quebec, but in the rest of the country.
But, then, he's the Ugly Canadian.
8 comments:
And those agreeing with that ugly Canadian need to take a look in the metaphorical mirror to check on their own looks, Owen.
Stephen Harper and his supporters disgust me. I see blue on lawns and it makes want to puke.
Like him, I suspect they're narcissists enthralled by their own image, Lorne. And they have little contact with those outside their own circle, who would tell them how grotesque they have become.
Unfortunately, there are still lots of blue dandelions on lawns these days, Anon. Sad, isn't it?
The racist card did not work in the last Quebec provincial election Owen, hopefully it won't in the Oct. federal election.I think what really bothers me though, is we have a PM who is blatantly racist and is using that racism to hold on to power. He and his CONs are morally bankrupt. I find them almost impossible to listen to. When Harper or any of his serfs come on TV, I turn the channel.Attacking muslim women from wearing a niqab at a citizenship ceremony, after the court has supported their right to do this, then to make it into an election issue is beyond any ounce of decency and civility. Harper is campaigning from the sewer.And Harpers accusation that any woman wearing a niqab is hiding her identity, well there are various ways of hiding your identity. Harper has hidden his from Canadians for 9yrs and more so in the last 4. What is secrecy if not hiding? He definitely is hiding his identity in this election. In his invitation only campaign, he is hiding behind his fellow cons, who are vetting and selecting only those Canadians who are Harper supporters.The other 2/3rds of Canadians he is hiding from. The mask of civility that he hides his true identity behind is slipping. Canadians can now see his do anything to win mantra, along with his racism,cowardice and power lust. With a bit of luck the whole mask will come off and Canadians will get to see, to approximate your own words, how grotesque he and his gang of thugs have become.
"Campaigning from the sewer." That's an accurate characterization of what he's doing, Pam. It's reprehensible. But we should expect nothing less -- or nothing more -- from the man.
Tom annoyed me that he stepped right in to the pile of crap the Niqab issue is I wish he had have been polite and said "The courts have already decided this matter it is not an election issue." "Why are you bringing it up Mr. Harper are you out of touch with our current system of laws?"
Unfortunately, Harper has no respect for the courts, Mogs. Mulcair could have made his contempt for the courts an issue.
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