Canada’s Veiled Immigration Problems

As with France's decision to ban the niqab or Muslim headscarf, a recent row in Quebec over the wearing of the veil in a government French class has elicited strong reactions from the public. Despite being worn by only the smallest minority of Muslim women, the veil often represents for Westerners their uncertainty toward relations with the Islamic world. In Quebec, where identity is complicated by being a Francophone hub in a majority Anglophone nation, locals are particularly sensitive to preserving the status quo. Yet, the buzz over the veil overshadows deeper problems of ethnicity within Canada and other parts of the Western world, where even highly educated immigrants struggle to succeed. Adding to this confusion, officials and media sensationalize concerns over the veil, rather than address fundamental issues of a multicultural society. Such developments heighten, rather than counteract, misunderstandings surrounding issues of diversity in a global context. – YaleGlobal