Crosses,Turbans & Maple Leaves

COMPARED with their southern neighbours, Canadians are quite wary of mixing religion and politics. Admittedly, Stephen Harper is probably the nearest thing that Canada has had in recent times to a prime minister from the religious right. He is an evangelical Christian of a strongly pro-Israel persuasion. And he has been accused by some of appealing to Islamophobic sentiment by, for example, telling Muslim women not to wear a face-covering niqab at the ceremony when they receive Canadian citizenship. But even Mr Harper treads warily, knowing how allergic some Canadians are to religious slogans, especially in federal politics. For example, his habit of saying "God bless Canada" will appeal to some voters (Canada faces an election on October 19th) and alienate others. This year, his Canada Day message on July 1st cautiously avoided reference to God; last year he made two such allusions in a Canada Day tweet.