Yes.
So I'm saying, Chair, that with the forthcoming byelections in fairly important ridings—and I would argue actually that some of these byelections will take place in communities where there is a significant presence of Muslim women—nothing has really changed since the last byelections. I would imagine that the concerns I commented on earlier in this meeting would pertain today. I would just have to assume that the same concerns exist. I have certainly not heard anything contrary to that.
To me, that means Bill C-6 needs to be treated in a priority fashion and the committee needs to get back on track. The committee needs to ensure that it remains focused on legislation that has such a dramatic impact on our electoral process.
I have a few other things, because they are interesting here. We had Ms. Farzana Hassan. She is the president of the Muslim Canadian Congress and she made some rather pertinent comments as well. She said,
The Muslim Canadian Congress is opposed to the burka or the niqab or the complete veiling of women in public spaces. We are suggesting that the burka be banned, especially in the electoral process in which openness and freedom need to be guaranteed. We need to ensure the integrity of the electoral process. It is imperative that whoever is physically present in the electoral process should be able to identify themselves. It is not a requirement of Islam that Muslim women stay covered completely. They would be more than willing to lift their veils if that is the requirement.
So, Chair, we come back to this point of stakeholders and who this affects the most. What we're hearing here is the Muslim community speaking out. There are important points here where they feel they have been targeted somewhat unfairly, because they never asked for this issue of veiled voting. They never asked for this accommodation, and yet it was somewhat given to them and then it was misunderstood. They feel that the misunderstanding is not in their best interests.
We have some very direct comments here that indicate it is not a requirement. At least this is what the president of the Muslim Canadian Congress says: “It is not a requirement of Islam that Muslim women stay covered completely. They would be more than willing to lift their veils if that is the requirement.”
What I hear there is an appeal to the committee to get on with Bill C-6. Let's get this bill moving. Let's get it through committee.
We'll have to call witnesses, Chair. We'll have to go through the clause-by-clause analysis. It may not take long, because I think we're fairly conversant with Bill C-6.
Again, it surprises me that the opposition has waylaid the committee in that way, because I think when we finally sink our teeth into Bill C-6 and actually move to accomplish our work, we will do so in a very effective and efficient manner. I have no doubt of that.
Actually, to have continually shuffled Bill C-6 off--