CAUGHT ON VIDEO: Jagmeet Singh Told He Should Cut Turban Off to ‘Look More Canadian’

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Published October 2, 2019 at 7:14 pm

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An awkward confrontation occurred this morning in Montreal for NDP leader Jagmeet Singh.

Singh was campaigning in the city’s Atwater Market when a man came over and offered the NDP leader some rather shocking advice.

“You know what? You should cut your turban off, then you’ll look like a Canadian,” the man said to Singh in English.

“Oh, I think Canadians look like all sorts of people,” Singh replied. “That’s the beauty of Canada,” but the man proceeded to continue.

“In Rome, you do as the Romans do,” the man added, to which Singh replied, “hey, but this is Canada, you can do whatever you like,” before walking away. Oddly enough, the man said “I hope you win” as Singh and his wife departed the scene.


Putting aside my earlier examination of his political judgment, one thing Jagmeet Singh has excelled at is dealing with confrontations about his race. Quebec remains one of the few places in Canada where Singh’s turban and religion have become an issue; the province’s right leaning government recently passed legislation to ban religious head coverings and symbols from their civil service.

Singh had to confront a ‘racist’ heckler during his leadership run for the NDP, and delivered a personable reaction to Liberal leader Justin Trudeau’s brownface photos when Trudeau dressed up as Aladdin for a costume party in Vancouver in 2001. 

Many commentators have pointed out that no other party leader has had to deal with these types of awkward questions.

How do you think of the way Jagmeet Singh dealt with this ‘request’ to cut his turban off?

Photo courtesy of the CBC

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