B'nai Brith Canada welcomed Minister Strahl's announcement that an interim order requiring that all passengers over the age of 18 boarding air flights in Canada must show their full faces before boarding. This order comes following a review by the Minister due to concerns raised by B'nai Brith Canada and others regarding online videos that appeared to show veiled women boarding airplanes without airline personnel verifying their identification.
Frank Dimant, Executive Director of B'nai Brith Canada, commented: "The Minister's statement rightly places security at the top of the agenda. Full face screening is a needed safety measure given the ongoing threat of terrorism in Canada and abroad. In fact, we would suggest that the order does not go far enough. There should be no age cut off for this needed security measure - surely a 17 year old is as much of a security risk as an 18 year old.
“Respect should be given for the religious practices of all women of different faiths. Such sensitivity can be achieved through offering private space to conduct security checks and ensuring that personnel receive sensitivity training. However, security cannot be compromised.
