Ryan Vale, owner of Edmonton Shoe Repair at Northgate Centre Mall became the focus of news stories that went viral after he refused to serve 19-year-old Sarii Ghalab.

It wasn’t personal, and what fool would turn down business in this economy, right? The problem was Ghalab was wearing a full face covering burka when she entered Vale’s store which has a no-facemask policy – regardless of race or religion. The policy was adopted for security reasons because you just don’t know who’s behind that face covering.

If you don’t believe it’s an issue, do a Google search on men wearing burkas while carrying out criminal activity. You’ll see everything from jewelry store heists to acts of terrorism with several reports of such incidents the world over.

It’s common sense to guard against this but unfortunately, wearing this mask is championed by radical Islam and their useful idiots on the progressive left which means you’ll be termed “Islamophobic” if you dare act on your concerns.

Inevitably, Vale found himself up against a horde of politically-correct soldiers riled up by the media party. He had to contend with squeaky wheels on social media, outraged by his alleged bigotry.

Even Susan Coombes of the Alberta Human Rights Commission joined the dog-pile, noting that offering service to people based on what they’re wearing could be considered against the law.

Faced with this pressure, Vale recently apologized to Ghalab saying he didn’t mean to hurt her feelings but, he added:

“If a lot of people started wearing full mask burkas in the store and shopping around I would definitely feel uneasy from a safety and security point of view."

Why not make reasonable accommodation a two-way street on this one by asking that if a veiled Muslim goes to a shop that forbids facemasks, she remove it until the transaction is completed?

Common sense just took another kick to the groin due to political correctness.

But there is way to fight back, especially if you live in the Edmonton area:

Make a pilgrimage to Edmonton Shoe Repair and support Mr. Vale. After all, nobody deserves to be publicly crucified for doing the right thing.