Coulter and the Burqa
There are two interesting items making the news these days that have some parallels and that are causing certain folks to be quite hypocritical.
The cancellation of Ann Coulter's talk in Ottawa due to protest has been described as a knock against free speech, expression and beliefs. I agree. People should be free to speak what is on their minds and universities, of all places, are meant to be places where free speech is enshrined. Student bodies have always been vocal, and have entrenched themselves in the ideology of the two sides of any argument. Professors are protected behind the system of tenure. All good in my view in allowing good, strong debate. If you don't agree with Coulter's beliefs you can demonstrate (your right as well) but, in Canada, we, as far as I know, allow for free speech.
Personally I think Coulter is an attention seeker and find her exclusive, single-minded view of the world outdated and offensive.
I can't help but think of the ongoing burqa/niqab issue in Quebec and the proposed Bill 94 which is now in front of the Quebec National (yuck!) Assembly. Contrast the ability of free speech to someone's freedom to wear what they want and believe what they want. While on the one hand we defend an individual's right (Coulter's) to label all Muslims terrorists and state that "we should invade their countries, kill their leaders and convert them all to Christianity" we do not defend an individual's right to wear a piece of clothing of their choosing. I find this to be hypocritical and unjust. More on that in the following post.
The links between these two stories are interesting to me. On the one hand we loudly defend a particular woman's right to throw ignorant insults at a large group of the world's population yet on the other hand we propose the banning of a simple piece of clothing that has been linked to a minority group of extremists. In both cases, under the cover of justice and preservation of our society's values, our society is showing its true position to the Islamic world - a position that is meant to be stir emotions and create a divide between two groups.
Maybe the best way to keep Coulter from uttering her nonsense would be to have her speak at the Université de Montréal wearing a burqa or niqab. I am surprised that Coulter would want to be seen in public anyway.
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