To be seen or not to be seen

Last October, an Ontario judge ordered a female defendant in a sexual assault trial to remove the niqab which covers her entire face, except for her eyes. His reasoning: the right to religious freedom was not as important as the right of the defendant to face the accuser in open court.

The judge was also influenced by her explanation that she felt more 'comfortable' in the niqab than without it. Indeed, her driver's license displayed her face. She had argued that it was a question of modesty and honor.

Jihad Watch wonders if the woman's commitment to sharia extends to other elements, such as the standard for testimony under which a woman's testimony is worth only half that of a man. Since there are two male defendants, this would presumably mean her testimony was worth one-fourth of theirs.

The defendant will seek to overturn the judge's ruling at a hearing in March before the Superior Court.