Posted on 10/06/2006 7:57:30 PM PDT by blam
Blair leaves Straw isolated in row over veils
By Graeme Wilson, Political Correspondent
(Filed: 07/10/2006)
Jack Straw provoked anger yesterday by suggesting that community relations would be helped if Muslim women did not wear full veils.
One of several mosques in Blackburn, which has a large Muslim population
Jack Straw was left out in the cold by Tony Blair and Cabinet colleagues last night after he stepped up the row over Muslim veils by saying that it would be better if women discarded them altogether.
The Leader of the Commons faced fierce criticism from some Muslim groups after disclosing that he asked women to remove their veils at meetings in his constituency office in Blackburn.
But his intervention was applauded by several backbenchers from across the political spectrum, including Shahid Malik, one of Labour's Muslim MPs.
Rather than backing down, Mr Straw, who was overseas on a private engagement, went further. Asked whether veils should be discarded completely, he told Radio 4's Today programme: "Yes. It needs to be made clear I am not talking about being prescriptive but, with all the caveats, yes, I would rather."
He argued that the drive to improve relations between communities was "made more difficult if people are wearing a veil. That is a fact of life. I understand the concerns but I hope there can be a mature debate about this."
The Prime Minister offered only a highly-guarded res-ponse. While No 10 defended Mr Straw's right to speak out on the issue, a spokesman repeatedly ducked questions about whether Mr Blair shared his views.
She said that Mr Straw —whose Blackburn constituency has a sizeable Muslim population — was setting out his "personal opinions".
She added: "Because people are expressing their views and this is an issue of debate does not make it Government policy." Asked what Mr Blair's personal view was, she said: "People should also have the right not to express their views."
There was an equally cool response from Ruth Kelly, the Cabinet minister charged with working with Muslim leaders to improve community cohesion. A spokesman for her said it was important to discuss such issues: "Ruth's view is that this is a matter for individual choice.
There are no laws or regulations which control what you wear. It is just common sense that every-one has the right to choose what they want to wear."
She added that Miss Kelly appreciated the important religious and cultural significance many Muslim women attached to wearing the veil.
However, Mr Straw's intervention was welcomed by MPs with close links to the Muslim community.
In a letter to The Daily Telegraph today, Paul Goodman, the Conservative MP for Wycombe — and the Tory backbencher with the highest percentage of Muslim voters — backed him.
"To most non-Muslims and some Muslims, veiled faces are an icon of societies in which Muslims are legally and socially privileged above citizens of other religions," he said.
"They are thus an obstacle to integration and in that sense I agree with Jack Straw.
"We live under the Crown, not a caliphate, and under common law, not sharia law."
Mr Malik, the Muslim Labour MP for Dewsbury, said: "A good constituency MP needs to be honest and Mr Straw has been honest. He is not doing this out of any sense of malice." Ann Cryer, Labour MP for Keighley in West Yorkshire, which has a large Muslim electorate, thought Mr Straw was "making a fair point".
She said: "When I meet a constituent, including Muslim women, and they have severe problems, I will always do my best for them. But I think it is a reasonable courtesy to be able to see her face as she can see mine."
Jemima Khan, a convert to Islam, said: "My belief is that covering the face is completely unnecessary in Islam."
Some critics accused Mr Straw of bringing up the issue to raise his profile as he prepares to enter the contest to succeed John Prescott as Deputy Prime Minister — a claim Mr Straw's allies denied.
Oliver Letwin, the Conservatives' policy chief, accused Mr Straw of espousing "a dangerous doctrine". The Liberal Democrats said he had acted insensitively.
There was strong criticism from the Lancashire Council of Mosques. A spokesman said: "For such a seasoned and astute politician to make such a comment that has shocked his Muslim constituents seems ill-judged and misconceived."
"We live under the Crown, not a caliphate, and under common law, not sharia law."
Let us hope that it stays that way.
Poor Mr. Straw: saying something that makes sense is guaranteed to get you in trouble with muslims!
They have made themselves unwelcome just about everywhere in the world. Time is not on their side.
Yeah !! Who says they're mooslugs and not robbers? After all they're wearing a mask.
yitbos
A symbol of death and hatred and subjugation.
some days, ya gotta wonder what's up with the media...
Blair backs Straw on veil
icCheshireOnline | 10/10/06
Posted on 10/10/2006 9:50:32 AM EDT by Valin
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1716811/posts
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