Defining reasonableness and equality
In an earlier post this morning the subject of accommodation came up, and then in the comments section the subject of equality was broached as well.
This of course all stems from the “debate” happening in Quebec over “reasonable accommodations” towards religious groups like the Hasidim and Muslims; and it is only fair if I offer some terms for the discussion, at least so far as it is likely to take place here.
Reasonable Accommodation: Making an “accommodation” for a person which does not infringe on the rights of another person or group… So, letting a girl wear a thin piece of fabric on her skull during a soccer game is reasonable because it realistically has no impact on the rights’ of others. However, banning men from a public le mans class would not be reasonable because you are protecting some peoples’ rights by denying the rights of others.
Equality: I see a lot of people suggest that this means treating everyone the exact same… and I wonder what exactly is wrong with those people. If this were true then there would be no wheelchair ramps or audible pedestrian signals. Equality means creating an environment where everyone has the same opportunity to express their rights; sometime this means building a ramp, other times it means taking their religious beliefs into consideration.
Like it or not, religion is protected under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms with as much weight as sex, age, or any other personal attribute, which means the freedom to express that religion is a fundamental right as well. Finding a reasonable balance between someones’ religious expression and the existing “rules” of society isn’t necessarily easy, but it wouldn’t be a political issue either; if we were to follow the simple formula set out above.
Your examples of accessibility ramps and crossing signals is perfect both the able bodied and handicapped can access the buildings and cross the street but in the soccer example one is allowed to wear a scarf and one is not? How is that equal? You are accommodating only the religious, what if I believe global warming dictates I should wear a hat?
Comment by Halden — February 27, 2007 @ 11:40 am
I’d like to reply, but to answer your question I could only repeat what I just said. Please, read my post more closely… especially the part about “equality.”
Comment by Joseph — February 27, 2007 @ 1:52 pm
I would think it would be safer for girls to have their hair tucked in (where it cannot be pulled). However, as you say, we accommodate religion all the time - the key is reasonable accomodation. Letting a girl wear a bandanna is not giving anyone an undue advantage or infringing on someone else’s rights.
I have asked my Muslim readers on my personal blog for their opinion and will post again on the political blog once the feedback is in.
I repeat that this incident has to be seen in light of other immigrant-unfriendly incidents that seem to happen all the time in Quebec and nowhere else in Canada.
Comment by Mezba — February 27, 2007 @ 2:22 pm