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There are a few things Zunera Ishaq wants to set straight about the veil she wears in public.

Nobody is forcing her to cover up, she says. It is a “personal choice” and a way to assert her identity and show her devotion to her Muslim faith.

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There is nothing oppressive, either, about wearing a niqab. If anything, it is a “symbol of empowerment.”

[np_storybar title=”Harper vows to appeal court ruling allowing women to wear niqab during citizenship oath, calls it ‘offensive’” link=”http://news.nationalpost.com/2015/02/12/niqab-court-ruling-appeal/”]

The federal government will appeal a court ruling allowing a Muslim woman to wear a niqab while taking the oath of citizenship because it is “offensive” to shield your face at the moment you are being sworn in, the prime minister said Thursday.

Zunera Ishaq, the Toronto woman who challenged the government’s policy forbidding the wearing of facial coverings during the swearing-in part of citizenship ceremonies, said Thursday she was upset by the prime minister’s remarks but vowed to continue fighting through the court process.