TORONTO — The woman whose fight to wear a niqab during her Canadian citizenship ceremony has unexpectedly become a dominant election issue fears the raging debate has tarnished Canadians' views of her fellow Muslims.
Zunera Ishaq said much of the discussion swirling around the issue in recent weeks has been based on misconceptions about Islam, the niqab and the women who embrace both.
She attributed much of that misinformation to the Conservative government, accusing Prime Minister Stephen Harper of turning her personal choice into a national vote-getting strategy.
She added she fears the tactic may be working.
A spokesman for Harper did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Ishaq said the Canadian public is not being well-informed.
"They are being misguided by the government on this particular issue," she told The Canadian Press in an interview.
"They were of the view that Muslim women who are wearing the niqab objected to show their identity for security purposes, but that's not the case .... The image of Muslim women, and as a whole the Muslim community, has been damaged by this."
Calgary Mayor Disappointed Niqab Issue A "flashpoint" In Federal Campaign
Calgary's mayor has toned down his criticism of the Conservative government for its handling of the niqab issue.
Naheed Nenshi ripped the Conservative's position as politically motivated and "dangerous" in an interview last week and then got into a war of words on the issue with Defence Minister Jason Kenney.
But Nenshi, who attended a citizenship ceremony this morning, stayed away from those words, saying he was disappointed the issue has become such a "flashpoint" in the current campaign.
He is urging Canadians to vote for the Canada they want, but shied away from any criticism of the Conservative government.
Nenshi says human rights are fundamentally urban issues and immigrants primarily move to cities with the hope of living a better life.
The issue of religious accommodation and specifically banning the wearing of face coverings during citizenship ceremonies has become one of the campaign's most contentious issues, particularly in seat-rich Quebec.
