THE veil worn by some Muslim women in Britain is a "mark of separation" which makes people of other ethnic backgrounds feel uncomfortable, Tony Blair said.
The Prime Minister's comment yesterday was his strongest intervention yet in the debate sparked by Cabinet colleague Jack Straw's assertion that wearing full veils - niqab - made community relations more difficult.
He also backed a local education authority which has suspended a teaching assistant who allegedly refused to remove her veil during lessons.
Mr Blair said that the veil was a visible symbol of a wider debate about how the 1.8 million-strong Muslim community integrates into Britain.
Asked if a woman who wore the veil could make a full contribution to British society, Mr Blair paused before saying: "It is a mark of separation and that's why it makes other people from outside the community feel uncomfortable."
Culture Secretary Tessa Jowell had described the veil as a "symbol of women's subjugation to men" and suggested that women wearing it "cannot take their full place in society".
Issue
But Mr Blair stressed that he was not suggesting women should be ordered to remove their veils: "No one wants to say that people don't have the right to do it, that's to take it too far, but I think we do need to confront this issue about how we integrate people properly with our society."
Mr Blair said he could "see the reason" why Kirklees council chose to suspend 24-year-old Aishah Azmi from Headfield CE Junior School in Dewsbury, West Yorkshire.
While stressing that such decisions were a matter for local authorities, he added: "I do support the authority in the way that they have handled this."
He said the veil row was part of a necessary debate about the way that the Muslim community integrates into British society adding: "Difficult though these issues are, they need to be raised and confronted.
"People want to know that the Muslim community in particular, but actually all minority communities, have got the balance right between integration and multi-culturalism."
DO you agree or disagree with Tony Blair? Have your say.
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There is no compromise between intergration and multiculturalism.
I am White British and Christian and I have no problem with muslims wearing thier veils.
What we have to understand and what Blair has to understand is that Britain invited these people hear in the first place and in a multicultural society we just have to accept them as they are.
We have to be tolerant of each other. I am C of E now but I was originally Catholic - Emancipation for Catholics came in 1828 and still today in Northern Ireland and elsewear people are ignorant and spitefull to the Roman church.
Grow up.
I DO NOT AGREE WITH THEM POLICISING THIS ISUE COUSE WHY MEN ARE SO CONCERN LOOKING AT OTHERS WIFE OR WHAT DO BORTHER THEM IF SOME ONE IS RELIGIOUS AND DONT THING YOU ARE GOING TO BEAR ANY FROOTS ON THIS ISUE BUT IS LEADING TO MORE SEPARATION
The veil is just the tip of the iceberg. Allowing it further separates the various communities from each other deepening the rift between them.
Why has it come as a shock to Blair and his colleagues that some Muslim women wear veils? They did not start doing this in October 2006. Why did it not come up when they were PLANNING how to integrate 1.8M people into this country?
He i right
i ride a motor cycle and if i go into a bank i have to remove my helmet how can this be justified anyone could be under a viel
I feel that his comments were right , integration is a major part of bringing muslims intothe british society , and this therefore makes it more difficult i also feel it would be difficult for the children to engage with the teacher
Very much so. Blair is on the right track. The stong expression of such religion separates societies and people. If one comes to live in the western world then one should accept the culture and surroundings. Please don't bring middle-east with you, that might be the reason that you've left the place to begin with.
I do not usually agree with Blair, however he's struck exactly the right note on this. He has spoken in a measured and calm fashion about an issue which many people agree on. Anyone who disagrees vehemently is being hysterical and taking things out of context.
I think everyone is entitled to their own opinion but i think people are taking this too far. I can see where the likes of Blair and Straw are coming from but at the end of the day its us women who have to make the choice of whether we wear it or not. No body else. So if we choose to wear it we should be respected in a way for that. No one can stop us!
Two questions
1.What are British values?
2.What exactly is a woman's full role in society?
What if people were saying Jewish people shouldn't wear the things that make them stand out, they shouldn't live in their own areas, they should integrate, shouldn't have separate schools, etc etc. People would soon worry wear that was leading to. We can discuss all these issues, but we need to make it really clear first of all that Muslims are welcome here. A lot of the comments suggest that they aren't at all welcome.
I do agree with Mr Blair. I believe this is a issue that needs to be raised. But I would strongly disagree with the Media, because of the way they handled this issue. Now days its nearly impossible to find the true via Media. This is NOT only about muslims but for everyone. Media has only acted one way so far. Muslims this, Muslims that. Like they were looking for axcuses for years. This is very unfortunate that people in UK are becoming more of kind American, because they believe in Media even they know the media has lot of work to do for to be called "Media". Overall Europe never believed in U.K and history proves it and Muslims did, also history proves it. I am proud to be a British Muslim. I will defend this country untill the last drop of blood is in my viens because I'm Muslim.
In a democracy he has the right to say what he said. She also has the right to wear a veil. His opinion is valid. A veil does say that the woman wishes to hide her face from other people. If she wishes to hide for whatever reason she has a right to do so. If the general populace choose to view that woman as invisible who can blame the public? Certainly the woman cannot as she chooses not to let herself be identified....perhaps a label with her name on her cloak would help?
I agree with the entire issue here, not only about muslims but for all other religions and beliefs. At the end of the day they are integrating into a mainly christian society and i see it as unfair to everyone who works for and was born in this country to be surpressed of an opinion. I personally feel unsafe around the people wearing these clothing. you are not allowed into a shop with a motorbike helmet on so why are you allowed in a shop with a veil on?? why should it be one rule for us and one for them, and yes i said us and them...im not racist but thats the way i feel it is at the moment. Either accept our way of living and integrate into our society, or live in a muslim state! stop trying to convert our society!!!!!!!!!
As long as the woman/man chooses to wear a veil or anything else for that matter for any reason it should be wholly up to her/him as long as it is not a health and safety issue at the workplace. As long as you are doing the job specified then there should be no problem. All I know is that the muslim female relations I have (I have no specific religion) are well educated but very much oppressed by their father my brother in law....a doctor. Freedom of choice is a rarity and we should advocate this not become one of the oppressors. I do not agree with the great man in principle!
I fully agree with Mr Blair. I would go further by saying the veil should be banned. Whats the point of CCTV cameras when these are allowed. Apart from anything else the use of the veil could be used by anyone from the criminal world to perpetrate anything from shoplifting to terrorism. This is 2006 not 1006 for goodness sake join the modern world!! Our youngsters can't even wear hoodies in some shopping centres so why a seperate set of rules for these hideous things. This is a case of double standards. GET RID OF THEM NOW!!
I travel to Turkey on a regular basis,and I have NEVER seen a Woman wearing a veil, in a supposedly Muslim country...the Lady I saw on the tv seemed a particularly biligerent and confronatational person-almost like the point she was making was more important than what she was wearing....imagine the scenario-a male teacher walks into the classroom,she instantly grabs her veil-what message does that send to the kids in the class?What message does that send to the male teachers?How can she argue that by not being allowed to cover her face in school she is being denied "intergration?"Surely she has to intergrate into British society,and not the other way around?Do the male teachers wear balaclavas,and would they be within their rights to if it became part of their "religion"?This is the only country in the world where this nonesense would be allowed,and if it continues then we are all in BIG TROUBLE in the future...the BNP thrive on stuff like this...
The veil is an outward sign of muslims who wish to bring Sharia law to this country. It is a political message that they do not want to live under British law, with British values. I would suggest that anyone promoting Sharia should understand once and for all that British people will never allow that.