man kicked off train for wearing kirpan

[Toastar]

http://www.cbc.ca/story/canada/national/2005/10/26/kirpan-ban-via051026.html

A kirpan is a knife used in religion.

I'm just curious what people think; let people wear knives because they say its part of their religion or not?

I said that in italics because whats stopping someone from saying that its a kirpan but they just want to have a knife (or they're an assassin or something)

[FaKToR]

As it turns out it is part of his religion. I can't speak for the local laws which makes this a bit more difficult ot discuss. I don't see it as an issue though of freedom to practice one's religion.

[Lord Kelvin]

Yeah, this is one of those fuzzy lines. I can see why they would kick him off the train, what with all the paranoia now, but I can also see his point of view. As for the assassin bit, I can see the concern about that too, but a knife around your neck is a lousy assassin tool (and I know this from experience) since everyone can basically see it unless you keep it under your shirt, and it would be a bit hard to take out.

[Army GI]

What kinda knife are we talking here? Are we looking at a Rambo-style knife?

[FaKToR]

Google image search ftw. I think it's basically a "small sword".

[Prowl]

Sikhs dont have to wear 10inch daggers though, a half inch symbolic one is also fine.

In which case I would be happy with the authoritys banning them in public places over a certain size.

[GoatChomper]

The page isn't loading, so tell us.....is this train system a public or private venue?

[Lord Kelvin]

I'll do you one better:

A Sikh man is considering taking Via Rail to the Ontario Human Rights Commission because the Crown corporation won't let him wear his ceremonial dagger on its trains.

RELATED: Kirpan Controversy in the Classroom (http://archives.cbc.ca/400d.asp?id=1-69-97-794)

On Friday, Balpreet Singh was ordered off a Via train as he was about to travel home to Toronto. Another passenger had complained about his kirpan.

"To be led off a train that's filled ... [is] absolutely humiliating," said the first-year law student at the University of Ottawa.

Singh, 24, says he wears the kirpan for religious reasons. He says he is never without it, even while attending class.

"This is essentially one of the signs of the Sikh faith," he said. "It's absolutely required. I'm never apart from this, whether I'm sleeping or whatever. It's basically considered part of my body.

"I consider that one of my fundamental freedoms ... [and my] freedom of religion is being infringed."

Via has a policy of not allowing anything that could be considered a weapon on its trains, even if that weapon is only used for ceremonial purposes.

MP promises to pursue issue

News of Singh's situation dismayed the prime minister's parliamentary secretary, Navdeep Bains.

The Toronto-area member of Parliament, who is also a Sikh, says he's never had a problem wearing a kirpan in the House of Commons. He says he's disappointed that a Crown corporation would try to ban them.

Bains said he plans to take the issue up with the federal transport minister and with Via's board of directors.

In Canada, the debate over whether to allow Sikhs to wear kirpans in public places has been going on for more than a decade. As well as Via trains, the daggers are banned from airplanes, Greyhound buses and some schools.

-e- Forgot title: Sikh student banned from train for wearing kirpan

[Supplanter]

The page isn't loading, so tell us.....is this train system a public or private venue?

http://www.viarail.ca/corporate/en_entr_viar.html that is companies info

As for the story a thought lots of those knives were just ceremonial and that they don't really have an edge to them, so they are not really dangerous, you can understand both side to the arguement that it is his right to practice his religion but people don't really like to see any weapons, real or not, in public.

[Toastar]

The page isn't loading, so tell us.....is this train system a public or private venue?

its a crown corperation but you have to pay for it

[SOCOM-DELTA]

what really struck me as interesting is that, in the article communist toaster first posted, a government official is basically being quoted that he claims to be a Sikh; just an interesting thought, because he says that he hasn't had any problems wearing a kirpan.

i agree with prowl, though. a consensus could easily be reached. if sikhs want to wear the knives, they should be less than a certain size and must not have a sharp blade, and consent to... say, knife inspections when wanting to board public transit. if it passes the inspection, then it's no more of a weapon than a shoe.

[Somedude]

All or none.

Either disarm everyone or allow everyone to carry a knife/sword regardless of religious affilitation. Do you suppose that they'd let this guy into the courthouse with a sword?

[SOCOM-DELTA]

they let the other guy into (i think) the parliament building with HIS kirpan.

[Seanobi]

if sikhs want to wear the knives, they should be less than a certain size and must not have a sharp blade, and consent to... say, knife inspections when wanting to board public transit. if it passes the inspection, then it's no more of a weapon than a shoe.

Because the ones who are most likely to use those as weapons against random people on the subway are going to be the ones who willingly submit to a weapons inspection. Why won't this flawed logic just go away? :rolleyes:

[Whoami88]

Why don't they just wear the knife inside their shirt so its not in plain view?

[[Political] Slayer]

Why don't they just wear the knife inside their shirt so its not in plain view?
http://www.cannonsgreatescapes.net/images/Metal%20Detector.JPG

[Whoami88]

Ahhhh, didn't realize they did that know, I remeber when I visited D.C. a couple years ago you just got a ticket and walked on the train

[Dave]

Not saying him getting kicked off the train was right, but what the fuck did he think was going to happen?

[Teufel Eldritch]

Can I wear my ceremonial gun? It's a part of my religion. It's not even a real gun...in all actuality it's a cigarette lighter.

[Toastar]

as long as you take off your shoes first

[lucky644]

It's part of my religion to carry a loaded and cocked rifle in my hands at all times.

I don't understand why people get upset over it :confused: