A Correction.

I have made a mistake. 

While researching What He Said, my post in support of Mark Steyn and Maclean's, I discovered that something I had said in an earlier post was incorrect.

On March 27, 2007 I posted a segment of the Sweet Home Allah Bamya series dealing with inaccuracies in the World Studies Notebook.  In it, I identified Ms. Audrey Shabbas and Abdallah Hakim Quick as coauthors of a controversial chapter.  In describing my research regarding Mr. Quick, I made the following statement:

The biography on Sheikh Abdullah Hakim Quick's website says that he has "served as Imam, teacher and counselor in the USA."  He has studied at the Islamic University of Madinah, Saudi Arabia and currently works as a lecturer at an Islamic Institute in Cape Town, South Africa.  His website promotes many books on Islamic topics but does not mention Arab World Studies Notebook.  It does feature lectures written by Sheikh Quick.  I browsed and read, finding the following statements in a 1997 composition titled "Seeking the Inner Muslim":

"In Canada, women have been given the legal right to walk around topless in public places.  Already, women can be seen mowing their lawns, sunbathing, or strolling down the street without any blouse, bra or shirt...."

...My confidence in the honesty of the Sheikh's scholarship was challenged, to say the least.

At the time I made this statement, I thought the idea of women strolling about legally topless in Canada was so absurd as to need no confirmation.

Turns out I was wrong. 

It appears that in 1996 female residents of Ontario were given the right to bare their breasts in public.  Apparently the decision is a bit controversial (after all, think of the implications for global warming!)- but has not yet been repealed.

So, while I still have other reasons to doubt the honesty of Mr. Quick's scholarship, his claim that women can go legally topless in Canada is not one of them.

My apologies to Mr. Quick for casting aspersions on one thing he has said that actually stands up to investigation.

I apologize to my readers as well.  This was simply sloppy work on my part, and I offer no excuses.  I can only hope this open acknowledgement will be taken as evidence of my own honest intentions.

Interestingly, while in turn researching this post I heard about another place where women can go legally topless in public- right here in the U.S. of A.!

In Columbus, Ohio, it is legal to sunbathe topless in public parks.

Mercy.  Just part of Life's Rich Pageant, I guess.

And now I have a request for any Canadian readers of this post:

What can you tell me about this law? How did it come about? It sounds as though it only applies to residents of Ontario- how do other Canadians feel about it?  How often is it -err- invoked?  Is it a nuisance to Ontario residents or do they not object to it?

Please post any remarks in the comments section.  I'm genuinely curious.

Columbus, Ohio readers, that goes for you, too.

Thanks!