PRESS RELEASE, 2021-01-12

For immediate release
Atheist Freethinkers Denounces the Wearing of the Hijab by On-Air CBC Personnel

Montreal, 12^th January 2021 — Atheist Freethinkers (LPA-AFT), an association which promotes secularism and supports the rights of atheists, denounces the decision by CBC management to allow Toronto journalist Ginella Massa to wear the Islamic veil, the hijab, while on the air hosting the news program Canada Tonight. LPA-AFT denounces this decision for three principal reasons:

• The hijab is recognized as being the banner of political Islam. It is used by Islamists to mark their territory;
• The CBC is not a private broadcaster, but rather the public broadcaster of the Canadian nation. Thus, by making this choice, the CBC is using taxpayer money to engage in passive promotion of a religion;
• Many women throughout the world, particularly in Muslim-majority countries, are trying to break free from the Islamic veil, including the hijab, but they find that freedom very difficult to attain because of legal strictures as well as pressure from their community or relatives.

For these reasons, we ask that the CBC refrain henceforth from allowing its personnel to display religious or political symbols while on the air, in order to preserve its neutrality as has always been done in the past.

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FOR FURTHER INFORMATION: Reach us by email
David Rand, bulletin arobas atheology.ca
Pierre Thibault, secretariat arobas atheology.ca

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