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06th October 2006

Muslims hit out at Straw in veils row

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 he asks female visitors to his constituency surgery to uncover their faces, to improve "community relations".

But when asked 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."

Muslim leaders in the Commons Leader's Blackburn constituency said many Muslim women would find his comments "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".

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

He said the wearing of a veil made him feel "uncomfortable about talking to someone face to face who I could not see".

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

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

Labour colleagues, including party chairwoman Hazel Blears, backed Mr Straw and Downing Street said he was expressing a private opinion.

But former Glasgow Labour MP Mr Galloway called on Mr Straw to resign, saying he was effectively asking Muslim women "to wear less".

Source: The BBC