Canadian opposition leader: PM treating Muslims like Vladimir Putin treats gays

PinkNews logo on pink background with rainbow corners.

Canada’s main opposition leader has savaged the Prime Minister for his stance on Islam – comparing him to Russian leader Vladimir Putin.

Conservative PM Stephen Harper reaffirmed his stance on Islam this week, calling for wearing a niqab or other face covering to be banned during official ceremonies.

He claimed that the veils were “rooted in a culture that is anti-women”, adding: “almost all Canadians oppose the wearing of face coverings during citizenship ceremonies”.

However, opposition leader Thomas Mulcair – of the centre-left New Democratic Party – claimed the PM’s approach to Islam was similar to Russia’s approach to homosexuality under President Vladmir Putin.

He said: “It’s not dissimilar to what we see with the president of Russia, who uses a minority there, the lesbian, gay, bisexual community… he goes after them with great relish because he knows that it’s going to resonate with a part of the population.”

The PM’s spokesman Rob Nicol rejected the comments, saying: “The comparison to Putin is absurd.

“No Western leader has stood up to Putin’s regime and called him out as strongly as Prime Minister Harper and our Conservative government.”

Comments (0)

MyPinkNews members are invited to comment on articles to discuss the content we publish, or debate issues more generally. Please familiarise yourself with our community guidelines to ensure that our community remains a safe and inclusive space for all.

Loading Comments