Straw row intensifies as he calls to scrap veils completely

 

Last updated at 09:25am on 6th October 2006

Controversy: Jack Straw

 

 

 

Cabinet Minister Jack Straw today waded further into the row over his call for Muslim women to remove their veils by saying he would like the garments to be discarded altogether.

The former Foreign Secretary sparked controversy when he revealed that he asks female visitors to his constituency surgery to uncover their faces, to improve "community relations".

 

But asked on the BBC if he would rather the veils be discarded completely, Mr Straw said: "Yes. It needs to be made clear I am not talking about being prescriptive but with all the caveats, yes, I would rather."

Last night, Muslim leaders in the Commons Leader's Blackburn constituency said many Muslim women would find his comments, originally made in his local newspaper, "offensive and disturbing" and Respect MP George Galloway demanded his resignation.

But Mr Straw said the increasing trend towards covering facial features was "bound to make better, positive relations between the two communities more difficult".

He told the BBC Radio 4 Today programme: "You cannot force people where they live, that's a matter of choice and economics, but you can be concerned about the implications of separateness and I am."

Mr Straw wrote of his fears in a regular column for the Lancashire Telegraph.

A meeting with a veiled woman had made him consider the "apparent incongruity" between her entirely English accent and UK education and the wearing of the veil.

"Above all, it was because I felt uncomfortable about talking to someone 'face to face' who I could not see," he wrote.

No-one had refused his request he pointed out.

Mr Straw insisted that he respected those who wear the veil and would never demand it was removed, but added that in conversation it was important to "not only hear what people say but see what they mean".

But "people should think about" not wearing it, he told the Today programme.

The practice of asking women to remove the veil began more than a year ago "with great care" and he always has a female member of staff with him, he added.

Mr Straw said he had seen more women wearing the veil in the street and he had "picked up quite considerable concerns about this being a rather visible demonstration of separateness".

He warned against the "development of parallel communities", adding: "Unless we bring some of these issues out which lead to parallel development, we will all be worse off."

The problem was not with religious dress but "the face... and to do with how we relate to strangers".

"Communities are bound together partly by informal chance relations between strangers - people being able to acknowledge each other in the street or being able pass the time of day.

"That's made more difficult if people are wearing a veil. That's just a fact of life.

"I understand the concerns but I hope, however, there can be a mature debate about this.

"I come to this out of a profound commitment to equal rights for Muslim communities and an equal concern about adverse development about parallel communities."

Mr Straw added that he did not think people in Blackburn were "intimidated" by the request coming from a Cabinet Minister.

But Conservative policy director Oliver Letwin said it would be a "dangerous doctrine" to start telling people how to dress, while Liberal Democrat party chairman Simon Hughes dubbed the remarks "insensitive and surprising".

And Mr Straw came under fire in his own constituency.

'Very insensitive and unwise'

The Lancashire Council of Mosques said Mr Straw had "misunderstood" the issue and it was "deeply concerned" by his "very insensitive and unwise" statement.

"For such a seasoned and astute politician to make such a comment that has shocked his Muslim constituents seems ill-judged and misconceived," a spokesman said.

"Many of these women find Mr Straw's comments both offensive and disturbing."

The Islamic Human Rights Commission said Mr Straw was "selectively discriminating".

Rajnaara Akhtar, who chairs the Project Hijab organisation, said Mr Straw had shown a "fundamental lack of understanding about why women wear the veil".

However, Dr Daud Abdullah, of the Muslim Council of Britain, said he understood Mr Straw's views. "This (the veil) does cause some discomfort to non-Muslims. One can understand this," he said, adding that Muslim opinion was divided on the wearing of the veil.

And Labour Party colleagues, including chair Hazel Blears, gave their backing to Mr Straw, saying his request to constituents was "perfectly proper".

Downing Street said Mr Straw was expressing a private opinion.

But Bethnal Green and Bow MP Mr Galloway called on Mr Straw to resign, saying he was effectively asking women "to wear less".

"When put like that, there's no-one who would be considered part of the civilised political spectrum who would have anything but contempt for Straw.

"It is not women choosing to wear what they want that is sowing division in our society. It is poverty, racism and the despicable competition between the Tory and New Labour frontbenches over who can grab the headlines as the hammer of the Muslims."

Mr Straw later defended his comments when interviewed by GMTV, saying: "It is about personal choice and I think it's quite important that we should think about the implications, because seeing people's faces is fundamental to relationships between people."

He added: "I've been struck by the discussions I've had with Muslim ladies - only a few but it's an increasing, if low, trend - about why they wear the veil and about whether they've thought about implications for race or religious relations - it's their decision.

"Interestingly, the Muslim Council of Britain have made it clear there's great controversy among Muslim scholars about whether it is obligatory or not, you obviously have to respect all these schools of thought.

"I just thought it was quite important to put out on the table something which is there in any event."

Muslim peer Baroness Uddin told GMTV: "I know that this question has been simmering under the breath of most parliamentarians. I've been asked this on a number of occasions - as have many, many Muslim women who have been wearing the hijab."

She added that what was needed was a "measured debate" and that the nation should "also consider the status of British Muslim women in this country".

The Baroness said: "I think it's about human rights on both sides - Jack's right to say and the women's right to wear what they please."

Catherine Hossain, from the campaigning organisation Muslim Public Affairs Committee, said: "My real concern is that he's trivialised a real and serious problem of the segregation that we have between Muslims and non-Muslims in towns like Blackburn."

She added: "What has he actually done in terms of substantive policy? This headline-grabbing remark about removing the veil, that's not going to solve the problem."

Quite right too. I hate Jack Straw because his constituency is Blackburn, but in this case he's got that spot on ;)

Quite right too. I hate Jack Straw because his constituency is Blackburn' date=' but in this case he's got that spot on ;)[/quote']

 

It all comes down to politeness and common courtesy. It'd be the same if somebody was wearing sunglasses, a cap or a "hoody" when they went in to see him.;)