• Welcome to all New Sikh Philosophy Network Forums!
    Explore Sikh Sikhi Sikhism...
    Sign up Log in

Canada Kirpans: Should They Be Banned From Quebec's National Assembly ?(Online Survey)

spnadmin

1947-2014 (Archived)
SPNer
Jun 17, 2004
14,500
19,219
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
 

Attachments

  • kirpan-dagger.jpg
    kirpan-dagger.jpg
    29.2 KB · Reads: 328

Caspian

SPNer
Mar 7, 2008
234
154
As of right now, after 1500 votes or so. The results are

Yes = 42%
No = 57%
Undecided = 2%

Nice to see a survey like this being done. Just as I figured before, the Kirpan would not be as polarizing an issue as the Niqab.
 
📌 For all latest updates, follow the Official Sikh Philosophy Network Whatsapp Channel:
Top