In Canada now, political correctness trumps security. Flying while Muslim means you won’t be forced to uncover your face or lift up your burqa before boarding a plane. Are we feeling safer yet?
Each passenger must submit his/her own passport and boarding pass so they can be identified at the last check in point before boarding the aircraft. EXCEPT FOR MUSLIMS! Canada airport security will not ask a veiled Muslim to remove her veil and prove her identity.
Frequent flyers know the drill: take off your shoes, surrender your tweezers and pack your shampoo in those little plastic baggies before lining up for the naked body scanners. But lift your niqab? Apparently not.
QMI Agency can reveal thatneither airlines nor security services are asking Muslim women to lift their veils and prove that the face beneath matches their photo ID.
The issue came to light through a video taken by Mick Flynn of Bradford, England. Flynn was boarding a flight at Montreal’s Trudeau International Airport when he witnessed two women with their faces covered board an Air Canada Heathrow bound flight without being asked to remove their veils.
In fact, in the video that Flynn has posted online, a man traveling with the group hands in all the passports and is the only one to interact with airline staff while two veiled women simply walk through.
“I complained at the desk — and again as I boarded the plane — asking if the pilot was happy that two women boarded without being identified,” Flynn told QMI Agency. “Both members of staff whom I spoke to were flustered and clearly embarrassed.”
Flynn’s communication with Air Canada and his video posting have resulted in a threatened lawsuit from the airline. As for answers from the company about security procedures, their response reveals holes in Canada’s air security.
Air Canada says it is capable of checking identification in a private room away from the check-in counter, but said the real responsibility for security measures lies with CATSA, the Canadian Air Transport Security Agency. Not so, says CATSA. Greg MacDougall, a spokesman for CATSA, tells QMI that their guards are primarily looking for metal, weapons or other banned material, not ensuring that veiled faces match passport photos.
“We don’t have concerns with that. We have concerns with the fact if the person has any metal under their clothing,” MacDougall said. A former CATSA employee, who, until recently worked as a frontline screener, tells QMI: “We were never allowed to ask anyone with a veil to lift it. It is their religion.”
Frontline workers for several airlines say that any checks, if they happen at all, would likely happen at the check-in desk, not at boarding or security. Most airports have wide gaps between where baggage is checked and the secure portions of the airport.
Transport Canada says there should be no confusion: “The airline must be able to verify the identity of all passengers before they are allowed to board,” the department said in a written statement. Lawyer David Harris of INSIGNIS Strategic Research says Canadians should be concerned about what he deems preferential treatment.
“Full veiling has been a boon for those participating in criminal and terrorist operations,” Harris said pointing to the story of Mustaf Jama. Jama, a Somali national with a long criminal record, was wanted in Britain for the 2006 murder of police constable Sharon Beshenivsky. As police closed in to arrest the career criminal, Jama was able to escape back to Somalia by wearing a full veil and boarding a flight at Heathrow.
Ban Islam 
Hey, it’s just MUSLIMS! It’s not like they’re a religion of fanatical, murdering, single-minded extremists! Right!?!?
Covering people’s faces is a stupid thing. There is nothing to do with religion. Even in old days many womens didn’t wear hijab. But lately you just shock that they don’t allow muslim women not to wear hijab or not to cover their hair especially in middle east. Then they have a new law that they should cover their faces so that they can do many crimes. It’s their excuse to cover their selves including their face. Like one of the muslim brotherhood leader in egypt after the crimes they did on their protest in cairo, he ran away wearing woman clothes with face cover so that the military or the police cannot identify him.
Even outside political correctness, there is good reason to be sceptical towards air-line security, be it with regard to its value, effectivity, or consistency.
For instance, I once travelled with a larger tube of tooth paste and a bottle of lens cleaner. The tooth paste was confiscated while the (even larger) container of lens cleaner was allowed through as “medicine”—with no check that I had not filled the bottle with nitroglycerine before leaving home…
From another perspective: What makes a plane a much more likelier target than e.g. a train? Except for hi-jackings with the goal of reaching a particular destination (in my impression mostly a non-issue nowadays): Only the assumed stupidity of terrorists. It would be far easier and more effective to blow up ten trains than even just one plane—-and the terrorists would not even die. Even truly large scale attempts (e.g. 9/11) can be accomplished without planes. In the end, the extra security efforts on airports may even be of a negative net value.
You like to live in our country you have to fallow our rules ! that is only way to do it . No special treatment for any body. If your religion is more important to you stay where you are. ! No body will missing you here.
No ceremonial knife or turban or burkas no way.And remember every one is some ,no colour of the skin make difference, No minority or majority..! That is bull.. to start with. NHO preferred treatment for ANYBODY.
funny and to us at the airport they are asking us to take our shoes off. !!!!! now where does this stand ! talking about nonsense !
Why do we even need a passport picture at all if they aren’t needed in cases of religion its a farce. Their faces are on the passports so they have showed their faces then, why not later? I really don’t see why they bother to get the passports in the first place?
Interesting read….I don’t know where MY CANADA has gone as I no longer recognize it. When people come to Canada, is it to assimilate? or demand change? I guess it comes down to intent. What is their real intent?From what I can tell it isn’t becoming a Canadian. We have witness this time and time again all around the world. I feel the TRUE Canadians are second class in their own country. So where are we heading?
This Canada and these women should have a say and wear wat they want in this country and … covering their face the way the do should be against the law … like come on this is Canada no need to for theses woman hide and how do these men get away with treating there’s wife’s like this it so sad like it freaks me out when I see these woman all in black and their faces cover they are pretty scary not just to me but i’m sure to all of kids too its a shame to come to a country of freedom to have freedom but u still have no freedom so stop hiding this is Canada live free and be happy show people who u are and give these woman freedom to be normal ……<3
If you want to come and live in our country you should live like we do. If you like your traditions so much stay in your own country. We don’t want it.
We as Canadians fought and bled and died to save people from oppression in 2 world wars. Why is it we have to change our way of life to abide to people who come into our country an try to turn it into there country the one they left to come to Canada.
Real Canadians have to look back and say, “we gave up a lot to say we are Canadaians, why do we have to change our traditions to become something we are not”
Personally i believe that anyone whatever there race or religion must be ID checked at the airport. It is very important to respect people who are veiled and to conduct a visual facial ID in a private room or behind a screen but EVERYONE needs to be checked. How do they know that the people under the veil are male or female? Just because someone is veiled this does not make them a flight risk of any type however it makes them a risk to immigration.
Birth right Canadians and those who want to live in our own democratic society more seemingly becoming a minority. I welcome all law bidding immigrants to our country but I do not appreciate that our culture and rules are being massaged and changed to accommodate some one else beliefs. Find a card that say Merry Christmas, The Cross has to be removed from public places etc.
If you feel Canada is such a great place to live and work then do so and live by our rules and values, you should be greatful that you have the opportunity to come here but do not force your beliefs on the majority of us, if you don’t like that then you should really consider then reason you came here or go back to where you came from. JUST SAYING!!!
Agreed!!!!
They don’t want to show their faces, nor pay taxes, nor wear RCMP stetsons, and the surgeons have the right to walk out on patients to pray during mid surgery (kid you not!)? Ridiculous! At least the Australian PM got it right.
You choose to come to our country for a better life. Woman can work, seek education get a drivers licence…not to mention live in peace. If you wish to be a part of your chosen home and blend in with our culture then behave like the woman you should be.Are you sick of being starred at because you look so ridiculous? Then show us your face. Behave like a lady. Dress and act like a lady.
How dare you have the ability to see me in my entirety, while I don’t have a clue who you are. How do you tell each other apart? How do you recognize your friends?
I never really heard of Muslim society, burkas, the great ‘Osama Bin Ladin’ or the poor way woman are treated in their native lands, until 9/11 Why are you upset with the rest of the world. It is YOUR people that started this all on 9/11. Can you blame us. Not all muslums are terrorists but all terrorists are Muslum. .
That’s bullshit, if you want to live in Canada you be a Canadian, if you wish to cover your face then stay in your own country. The husbands wear nike and adidas to fit in so why can’t the women? give them the freedom to fit in and get away from what they come from.