After the Federal Court ruled in February that Zunera Ishaq, the woman at the centre of a now pivotal controversy, could wear her niqab while taking her oath of Canadian citizenship, Steven Harper’s federal government sought a stay of the ruling pending an appeal. For many, it appeared like an attempt to keep discriminating against Ishaq until the government got its day in court. But during the federal election, the Federal Court of Appeal denied its application, and Ishaq swore her oath, so that only days later she was able to cast her vote, one that would hold greater weight than Mr. Harper could have imagined.  Read more

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