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Veil: British papers back Straw
CNN.com ^ | 10/7/2006 | Staff

Posted on 10/07/2006 7:23:13 AM PDT by Dark Skies

British newspapers on Saturday backed cabinet minister Jack Straw after the political storm sparked by his remarks that veils worn by Muslim women harmed community relations.

Former foreign secretary Straw wrote in his local newspaper that a veil was "a visible statement of separation and difference" and that he was more comfortable dealing with female visitors to his local political office with their faces uncovered.

Most UK dailies turned their leading articles to the nationwide debate -- and subsequent protests -- triggered by Straw, now in charge of government business in the House of Commons.

Many of them published picture guides explaining to readers the different styles of Muslim veils, including the chador, niqab. hijab and the burqa.

The issue of integrating Britain's 1.65 million Muslims has returned to the UK political agenda in recent weeks, a year after the deadly July 2005 London bombings, perpetrated by British Islamic extremists.

Under the headline "Ban the Veil," the Daily Express reported that "concerned Britons" had given massive backing to calls for Muslim women to ditch the veil.

The paper said that of around 10,000 readers who phoned or texted to its own survey, 97 percent of respondents wanted a ban on the veil to "help safeguard racial harmony."

(Excerpt) Read more at edition.cnn.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; News/Current Events; United Kingdom; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: britain; islam; jackstraw; muslim; uk; veil; wot

1 posted on 10/07/2006 7:23:14 AM PDT by Dark Skies
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To: Dark Skies
Yep Straw has nailed public opinion on this one. He may well loose his parliamentary seat over it.
2 posted on 10/07/2006 7:25:31 AM PDT by vimto (Blighty Awaken!)
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To: Dark Skies
"the different styles of Muslim veils, including the chador, niqab. hijab and the burqa."
Well....I take offense to the use of the word "style" to discuss this death cult's different ways of degrading women. Dhimmitude shouldn't be tolerated...including surrender monkey weasel words.
3 posted on 10/07/2006 7:29:55 AM PDT by peyton randolph (No man knows the day nor the hour of The Coming of The Great White Handkerchief.)
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To: peyton randolph

"surrender monkey weasel words."


I think it is still only 1984. Orwell would turn in his grave.


4 posted on 10/07/2006 7:32:19 AM PDT by vimto (Blighty Awaken!)
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To: Dark Skies

Very, very interesting. Thanks for posting.


5 posted on 10/07/2006 7:33:40 AM PDT by PGalt
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To: Dark Skies

6 posted on 10/07/2006 7:38:59 AM PDT by george76 (Ward Churchill : Fake Indian, Fake Scholarship, and Fake Art)
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To: george76

"SMILE"!!!!


7 posted on 10/07/2006 7:44:04 AM PDT by The Bronze Titan
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To: vimto

"Yep Straw has nailed public opinion on this one. He may well loose his parliamentary seat over it."

I doubt that he will lose his seat. He has a pretty convincing majority iirc (8000, or over 20% on checking) and seems a popular constituency MP. Plus a lot of his Muslim constituents seem to agree with him on this issue. The ones that would vote against him on this basis probably already voted against him last time on the basis of Iraq.


8 posted on 10/07/2006 8:24:39 AM PDT by Canard
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To: Canard
Thoughtful assessment. And the privacy of the vote will be important. He was much too quick to distance himself from the Danish Cartoons when no statement was required of him. Still we will await the results with interest methinks.
9 posted on 10/07/2006 8:29:24 AM PDT by vimto (Blighty Awaken!)
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To: george76

Can you imagine how uncomfortable those burqua's(?)are?Covered from head to toe in black?I watched a show not long ago with a couple muslim women explaining why they prefer to wear these outfits.Personally I suspect most muslim women would prefer to dress normally.They're just afraid to speak out.


10 posted on 10/07/2006 8:34:17 AM PDT by Thombo2
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To: Thombo2

It seems to be terrible.

Hot...


11 posted on 10/07/2006 8:46:50 AM PDT by george76 (Ward Churchill : Fake Indian, Fake Scholarship, and Fake Art)
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To: george76

Hot....unbearably.Wonder why we don't hear anything from NOW or any other womens rights groups?


12 posted on 10/07/2006 8:59:35 AM PDT by Thombo2
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To: Thombo2

If the muzzies win this wot, then the liberal women will not only be wearing burkas...


but also they will not be able to drive a car, vote, go to school, hold a job...

It is amazing that they hate Bush and us for saving their a$$


13 posted on 10/07/2006 9:04:00 AM PDT by george76 (Ward Churchill : Fake Indian, Fake Scholarship, and Fake Art)
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To: Dark Skies

How does one account for this inexplicable outbreak of common sense in the UK?


14 posted on 10/07/2006 9:06:36 AM PDT by 3AngelaD
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To: Thombo2

15 posted on 10/07/2006 10:03:08 AM PDT by george76 (Ward Churchill : Fake Indian, Fake Scholarship, and Fake Art)
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To: george76

If I see 5 people dressed like that in public, I would immediately leave the "blast area"!


16 posted on 10/07/2006 10:05:27 AM PDT by airborne (Show me your friends and I'll show you your future.)
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