Article content continued

That prompted Prime Minister Stephen Harper to vow to appeal the ruling because covering one’s face while being sworn in is “not how we do things here” and is “offensive.”

We apologize, but this video has failed to load.

tap here to see other videos from our team. Try refreshing your browser, or

Naseem Mithoowani, Ms. Ishaq’s lawyer, said Monday her client is determined to continue fighting “as her case has implications for every Canadian and their free choice to live the life of their choosing and to dress as they see fit, so long as they are not harming anyone else.”

In a statement, a spokeswoman for Citizenship and Immigration Canada reiterated that those who take the oath of citizenship must do so “freely, openly and proudly for everyone to hear.”

“The Citizenship Oath is a public declaration that you are joining the Canadian family and that you are committed to Canadian values and traditions,” Sonia Lesage said in an email. “It remains an important final step in the citizenship process.”

There have been “rare” instances, she said, when individuals have been denied citizenship because they failed to recite the oath. But the government does not keep detailed numbers, she said.

The federal government’s push-back against Muslim women wearing niqabs during citizenship ceremonies has become a divisive pre-election issue. Mr. Harper’s defence of the niqab ban is still featured prominently on the Conservative Party home page. NDP leader Thomas Mulcair and Liberal leader Justin Trudeau have said the appeal is not necessary.

Rabia Khedr, a spokeswoman for the Federation of Muslim Women, said she didn’t understand why the government is spending so much time fighting the issue.