Cabinet Minister Jack Straw has angered the UK’s Islamic community by comments he made on BBC radio last Friday where he demonstrated his dislike of women wearing the traditional Islamic veil. Speaking frankly, the Minister said he would prefer it if Muslim women constituents who visited his surgeries would refrain from wearing the traditional Muslim veil. Mr Straw who claimed that the Hijab constituted "a visible statement of separation and difference" warned that it made community relations difficult.

Mr Straw whose constituency represents a Muslim population of over 40,000 was applauded for taking this stance by many in the British media but has sparked anger among Muslims both in his constituency and nation-wide. Those who back Mr Straw’s comments argue that the senior Minister did not press for Islamic veils to be banned as in France, but in fact has on many occasions defended the right of Muslims to wear the veil. They argued that the Minister is merely encouraging an honest debate on wearing veils and the integration of Britain’s 1.6 million Muslims with the mainstream population.