Quebec lawmakers pass religious neutrality bill banning face coverings [View all]

[trotsky]

https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2017/10/18/quebec-lawmakers-vote-in-favour-of-religious-neutrality-bill-banning-face-coverings.html

MONTREAL—Calling it a North American first, the Quebec government passed legislation Wednesday forbidding anyone from receiving or giving a public service with their face covered — and even while riding the bus.

The opposition said the law doesn’t go far enough, while members of the province’s Islamic community said it targets Muslim women and violates their fundamental right to express their religion as they see fit.

...

Andre Lamoureux, political scientist and spokesman for a Quebec-based movement for secularism, said the niqab or burka “has no place — not even on the bus.”

...“(The niqab) is not a religious sign,” Lamoureux said. “It’s a political symbol of the enslavement and de-empowerment of women that is supported by the most repressive regimes on the planet.”

Lots of strong opinions on the matter. Under what circumstances is one allowed to conceal their identity? And should religion grant special rights in that regard?