Race baiting becomes essential re-election strategy for Harper team

On the face of it, I too would be inclined to agree with the proposition that "a prospective future citizen of Canada should not be allowed to hide their identity at a citizenship ceremony."

Except, when you look into it at all, nobody is "hiding" their identity.

If and when Zunera Ishaq is permitted to wear her niqab at her citizenship ceremony, the entire country will know exactly who that veiled woman is.

By the time she makes it to the ceremony, Zunera will have revealed and unveiled herself countless times to various government functionaries in their semi-private offices. Zunera can do that because her faith dictates that she cover up in public.

As in a public ceremony.

At no point has Zunera Ishaq's niqab been about "hiding her identity."

Our local MP Larry Miller had to do a little back-pedalling when he got on national TV for proclaiming "those people should get the hell back to where they came from" back in March.

But Big Steve himself has been playing the same ugly game.

We're either a tolerant and diverse society, or we're not.