The eviction of a young Muslim girl from soccer tournament for wearing hijab has created a political uproar in Canada.
Liberal MP Omar Alghabra said that it was irrational on part of the federation in asking her to stepping out of the soccer match just because she was in hijab he supported his point by stressing that even he used to tuck-in his shirt while playing soccer as a youth.
However, Quebec Premier Jean Chrarest still supported the soccer referee’s ejection for safety reasons. He said
They have their rules, and they’re for safety. It’s up to them to apply the rules, and they applied them in the way they saw fit ... and I don’t have a problem with that.
His decision to take a public stand on the issue officially brings to Canada what has been a heated political debate that has been raging in Europe and Australia in recent years.
France and the UK have had many cases where burkas or headscarves have been banned or politicians have raised concerns.
But until recently, such controversies have not been seen in Canada.
