Checking out the bad mistake by Jack Straw on reference to muslim head dress. I wonder how discriminative it is though when large shopping malls ask 'hoodies' to pull down their hoods, motorcyclists not to wear crash helmets and what about religious head dress ? :huh:

I think if we dont operate the policy 'when in rome' in our country, how easy would it be for some of these very anonymous people to walk into a shopping mall kitted up to the Niquab with high explosive in an attempted suicide bombing plot and blow the place to blazes. I think its discrimination against 'hoodies' and motorcyclists. Not too include muslim head dress on this list could create a massive security problem :ph43r:

Ah! Someone has found a use for that emoticon! :D ;)

I think it's good that such a debate has begun - I think it's something that needs to be addressed, even if only discussed.

Everybody should be made to walk around naked in case they have bombs under their clothing.

How muslims run their own affairs in Islamic societies is their business - even though some of their customs may appear oppressive and backwards to us Westerners.
But there is something deeply unsettling about the sight of a woman in a British street wearing a niqab and walking several footsteps behind her husband.

It was a free country last time i checked Red Squirrel. I personally don't find anything remotely offensive or unsettling in seeing Muslim women in veils or burkhas. It's part of their Islamic culture. At least they are modest in their dress sense and they don't go around dressed like tarts unlike some of the young British women i see nowadays.

We could learn a lot about respect from Muslims. I just don't understand this vile outpouring of hatred for Islam and Muslims in general. I have some good friends who are Muslim and i have nothing but respect for them and their culture.

With the level of maturity on this forum I had expected a comment like that. This is a serious question of security. Jonesy were not dealing with the 'fuzzy-wuzzies' now. This is not dads army!

It is a rational thing. We are dealing with fanatical extremists who could easily dress up in a Niquab :ph43r: or any other garb to terrorise. Unfortunately they have been tagged to the muslim faith. I hope the muslim faith is strong enough to stop these fanatics destroying it, I'm not sure it is. They dont seem to be condeming the terrorism constructivley.

I think there is something disconcerting however to the head dress and seeing people dressed like this in our county in view of inevitable terrorist acts and in respect of their somewhat false prophet would be better celebrated perhaps in the mosques they worship in which would help our countries security. I'm amazed the 'burn your bra' brigade are not fighting for muslim womens rights here in our country. Finally, I still think it is a form of discrimination for people who enter shopping malls. The people who are in Niquabs are never questioned by security yet the person wearing a hoodie or in some cases peaked cap are asked to remove them. Its an easy option for a criminal to don a Niquab this seems taboo and has total sanctuary these days.

Shadwell, If there's one thing that signifies the incompatibiltiy of the liberal democratic societies of the West and Islam in most of it's present forms - it's the veil.
Like foot-binding that was once common in China or the gruesome act of female circumcision in some African Islamic cultures - it represents an extreme oppressive nature towards women.

Why would a woman who's less 'covered up' necessarily be a 'tart'? Why would she be any less virtuous than a woman who's draped head to toe in designer sports gear or a fur coat? Don't forget that the mini skirt sybolized 'female liberation' in 60's Britain and probably still does today.
To many muslims, anything more revealing than a hijab is considered offensive and 'un-Islamic'.

I've said before on this forum - there are a few aspects of Islamic society that I do admire - but still, I don't accept the multiculturalist's view that Islam (at least on a large scale) can co-exist peacefully alongside non-Islamic communities.There's too much evidence to prove that this is not true. Yes, I know that there are millions of muslims who are decent, peace-loving people, - but it is the Islamic faith itself that I find incompatible with other societies.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/bradford/6050392.stm
A local government minister talking sense - Whatever next!

I think these veils would not only be intimidating, they may frighten blue-blooded british children ! :ph43r: :ph43r: :ph43r: :ph43r: :o

Have a look at the image in this report http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory?id=2395917
Now if that's not enough to terrify the pants off a very young or elderly patient ....

Gordon Bennett :o .....Coming to a hospital near you soon.....! :ph43r: Not sure if it would promote or increase the hygenic process in hospitals.