British Debate Over Veils - Expressions of Opposition To The Wearing of The niqab

Expressions of Opposition To The Wearing of The niqab

Following Jack Straw's opening of the debate, the following people went on the record with their comments:

• Tony Blair, then Prime Minister, described veils as a "mark of separation".

• Gordon Brown, then Chancellor of the Exchequer, agreed with this approach, adding that he thought it would be "better for Britain" if fewer Muslim women wore the veil, and that he supports "what Jack Straw has said".

• Labour MP Nigel Griffiths, then Deputy Leader of the Commons, said "it's all very well for Muslim women to say that they feel comfortable wearing the veil but ... the veil does not make other people feel comfortable. In that way it could be said that they are being selfish."

• Labour MP Phil Woolas, who had a position in charge of race relations policy, said that Muslim women wearing the veil are "frightening and intimidating" and congratulated Straw for starting the debate.

• Labour MP Harriet Harman said she wanted to see the veil abolished, saying "The veil is an obstacle to women's participation, on equal terms, in society."

• Shadow Home Secretary David Davis suggested that Muslims were responsible for white flight, adding that the British may be "inadvertently encouraging a kind of voluntary apartheid".

• Bill Deedes, a former Conservative Party politician, added his weight to the debate in an opinion piece in The Daily Telegraph, saying that Islam "is the only faith on Earth that persuades its followers to seek political power and impose a law — sharia — which shapes everyone's style of life", and that Islam "forbids" Muslims from conforming with British society.

• Simon Jenkins wrote a piece for The Sunday Times asking why Muslim women who wore the veil wanted to live in the UK; however, he cast doubt on the effectiveness of Straw's statements.

• Allison Pearson wrote in the Daily Mail that women wearing the niqab, or as she phrased it "nose-bags over their faces", "have no place on British streets". She added "It's not a nice sensation – to feel judged for wearing your own clothes in your own country."

• Trevor Kavanagh wrote in The Sun that Muslim women were wearing the niqab "to provoke us", while the following day Sun columnist Jon Gaunt wrote "enough is enough, forget lifting veils, Labour should remove the kid gloves and treat Muslims the same as every other British citizen. And it's not just me saying this. Even the Church of England, in a leaked report, is saying the Government has shown preference to Muslims and has contributed to the divisions in modern Britain."

• Speaking to The Jewish Chronicle, French philosopher Bernard-Henri Lévy said that "the veil is an invitation to rape".