The Stream

Canadian politician goes after #PeopleLikeNenshi in niqab dispute

Support for Canadian mayor trends amidst debate over face veils.

Canadians rallied around Calgary mayor Naheed Nenshi after a Conservative politician claimed “people like him” are politicising debate over women’s right to the religious face cover known as niqab.

The debate surfaced after a woman applying for citizenship in 2013 sued the federal government for its ban on face coverings during the public swearing-in ceremony. The government lost the suit and appeal, but have promised to take the case to the Supreme Court.

In a SiriusXM radio interview on Wednesday, Nenshi said he thought the conservative political stance on the issue was “disgusting” and “unbelievably dangerous stuff”.

Conservative politician Jason Kenney – who introduced the ban in 2011 – said “it is the mayor and the people like him who are politicising” the issue.