Alexander Panetta, The Canadian Press Published Tuesday, February 25, 2014 1:37PM EST Last Updated Tuesday, February 25, 2014 4:26PM EST<\/p>\n
WASHINGTON -- Canada's ambassador for religious freedom, Andrew Bennett, says an attempt to discuss human rights in Turkey prompted that government to throw Quebec's controversial values charter back at him. <\/p>\n
Bennett stressed that Turkey has made notable strides towards religious freedom in recent years. For example hijab-wearers are now allowed into public buildings. <\/p>\n
However, Christian, Jewish and Alevi minorities continue to have concerns, including the expropriation of religious property. <\/p>\n
He said he raised those concerns during a visit last fall and the reply came: Well, what about Quebec? <\/p>\n
But Bennett said that's the only time a foreign official has raised the charter with him since he took up the post created by the Harper government a year ago. <\/p>\n
Because his mandate does not involve domestic issues, Bennett said he can't offer a personal opinion of the Quebec legislation that would bar people who wear hijabs, turbans, yarmulkes and large crucifixes from working in the public sector. <\/p>\n
But he does reject any attempt to compare the persecution of minorities abroad with what's happening in Quebec. <\/p>\n
\"People in countries overseas where religious freedom is being violated are being imprisoned, tortured, killed because of their faith,\" Bennett said in an interview during a trip to Washington. <\/p>\n
\"In Canada, we have the courts. We have the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. ... We can advance religious freedom overseas because we enjoy it in Canada. So that's the approach that I take.\" <\/p>\n
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Canada's Religious freedom ambassador confronted by Charter of Values<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Alexander Panetta, The Canadian Press Published Tuesday, February 25, 2014 1:37PM EST Last Updated Tuesday, February 25, 2014 4:26PM EST WASHINGTON -- Canada's ambassador for religious freedom, Andrew Bennett, says an attempt to discuss human rights in Turkey prompted that government to throw Quebec's controversial values charter back at him. Continue reading