The Muslim Canadian Congress is asking Ottawa to pass legislation banning the wearing of Islamic religious garments meant to hide a woman’s features in public. The MCC says articles of clothing like the burka — a garment that covers a woman’s body and shield’s the eyes with a layer of mesh fabric — marginalize Muslim women and violate their right to equality.

The MCC claims Canadian women who wear the burka are being oppressed by their husbands and family members. While it may be true that some Muslim females are being forced to dress a certain way, many women wear their religious garments out of choice.

Even for those who may be living in oppression, having the government step in and dictate what can and cannot be worn in public is not the answer.

The logistics behind enforcing such a law are impractical. Should the legislation pass, it would be highly unlikely a police force would be patrolling the streets and writing tickets to women wearing religious coverings.

Canada has no right to infringe upon the religious rights and freedoms of its citizens. Gender equality is about allowing both sexes the freedom to choose how they live — something a ban on burkas would directly oppose. Banning all burkas in public would violate the rights of women who want to conceal themselves out of choice and for spiritual reasons.

Perhaps behind the MCC’s flawed plan is the larger issue of spousal abuse. However, their energy is better spent creating social programs, outreach centres and educational projects.

The government should not be able to decide how deep a person’s religious beliefs go and by taking away the option for a woman to don certain clothing, they would essentially be telling a person how to practice their own religion.

In a society where it is legal for a woman to go topless, it seems more oppressive to tell a woman she cannot dress conservatively — however extreme for religious reasons.

The right to choose what to wear must be preserved — restricting certain freedoms opens up the door to eroding human rights.

However, at the same time, as societies continue to evolve to be more secular, we need to accept certain religious practices are no longer practical in modern time. Women cannot be expected to dress a certain way if it interferes with her ability to lead a normal, happy life.

Realistically, no one in Parliament will want to pass this legislation — it would be political suicide. This move by the MCC is likely nothing more than an attempt to gain attention and shed light on the issue of women being culturally oppressed by their own families.

If open discussion and attention is what the MCC is looking to accomplish, then giving such a bill as much publicity as possible is an effective first step.