Canadian gender equality under threat from ‘society of immigration’: Former PM Kim Campbell

While she was likely focussed on Muslims, her comments also  apply to a number of other communities and fundamentalists of other faiths:

Former prime minister Kim Campbell told a University of Alberta audience Wednesday the equality of women is a Canadian value that has found little purchase in a “society of immigration.”

Some individuals in Canadian society, she said, come from cultures that don’t believe in gender equality.

“I’m always very concerned about cultural practices which suggest that women bear responsibility for the sexual behaviour of men,” she said, referring to coverup garments like the burka.

A naked woman standing on the corner may get arrested for public nudity, but she is not fair game for physical assault

She also commented on the use of the niqab, a veil that covers women’s hair and faces, at citizenship ceremonies.

“In an open society, people are seen,” Campbell said.

She said one of Canada’s challenges is to guide the integration of cultures that don’t share this value. Better education of Canadian residents is the key, she said, adding if Canadians don’t understand their own history and values, people new to the country will find them difficult to learn.

Canadian gender equality under threat from ‘society of immigration’: Former PM Kim Campbell