Tolerance yes, but not tolerance of everything.
Embracing differences yes, but not all differences. If all differences in the world were for some reason equal then you'd have a point.. but..
Why are you putting the emphasis on acceptance on the Canadian state here? Out of the two parties involved here, it is the immigrant who should be looking to accept the cultural norms of the new country moreso than the Canadian state should be looking to bend its laws and norms to the wishes of the immigrant. It does go both ways, but the immigrant is the one who decided to come here - more of this burden thus lies on his/her shoulders.
I'm putting the emphasis on acceptance on the Canadian state because in my opinion, that should be literally the lowest standard of acceptance the prospective immigrant should have to meet. And yeah, I may have a slightly different perspective here in the US, sure. "Give me your tired, your poor, your niqab'ed masses yearning to breathe free" and all that. And the crux of our disagreement may be that you see the face covering primarily as avoiding openness. I see the face covering as a sign of religious dedication, and freedom of religion is something the government should be defending, not chipping at.
Out of curiosity, I looked up the following.
Here's the US citizenship requirements:
- You already have a green card
- You are at least 18 years old.
- You have lived in the U.S. lawfully as a permanent resident for at least five years unless you are a spouse of a U.S. citizen, refugee, or received your green card through political asylum.
- During those five years, you have been physically present in the U.S. for at least half of the time.
- You have not spent more than one year at a time outside the U.S.
- You have not established a primary home in another country.
- You have lived in the state or district where you are filing your application for at least three months.
- You have "good moral character".
- You can read, write and speak English.
- You can pass a test about U.S. history and government.
- You will swear that you believe in the principles of the U.S. Constitution and will be loyal to the U.S.
And this, for Canada:
You must be 18+ (children can also apply but the below gets adjusted)
You must have permanent resident (PR) status in Canada.
You must have resided in Canada for at least three years (1,095 days) in the past four years before you apply.
Canada has two official languagesEnglish and French. To become a citizen, you must show that you have adequate knowledge of one of these languages. In general, this means you can:
- take part in short, everyday conversations about common topics;
- understand simple instructions, questions and directions;
- use basic grammar, including simple structures and tenses; and
- show that you know enough common words and phrases to answer questions and express yourself.
Criminal history (prohibitions), you cannot become a citizen if you:
- have been convicted of an indictable (criminal) offence or an offence under the Citizenship Act in the three years before you apply,
- are currently charged with an offence under the Citizenship Act,
- are in prison, on parole or on probation,
- are under a removal order (Canadian officials have ordered you to leave Canada),
- are being investigated for, are charged with, or have been convicted of a war crime or a crime against humanity, or
- have had your Canadian citizenship taken away in the past five years.
To become a citizen, you must understand the rights, responsibilities and privileges of citizenship, such as voting in elections and obeying the law. You must also show you understand Canadas:
- history,
- values,
- institutions and
- symbols.