*DEBATE* Should Muslim women be allowed to wear veils that show just their eyes?

[Nixt]

Should Muslim women be allowed to wear veils that reveal just their eyes in public places?

Thankyou to Sentrax for suggesting this debate!

Recently, Cabinet Minister Jack Straw said that he would prefer Muslim women not to wear the veils that cover all but their eyes. He said that the veils encouraged racism and made communication problems within communities far more difficult.
His comments came after he began to ask Muslim women who visited his Blackburn constituency surgeries to remove their veils.
Jack Straw's comments have sparked much debate in the world of politics, so what do YOU think? Should Muslim women remove these veils? And if so why? Get debating!

Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/5411954.stm
Why do Muslim women wear veils: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/mid...st/5411320.stm

PLEASE NOTE: Absolutely no racism will be tolerated in this thread, before posting in this thread, read the Debates Forum Rules, which can be located here. The debate will end on the 17th October 2006.

[poll]

no i dont i saw a muslim women with veil driving and she reversed into a car because she couldnt see and she didnt even care danger to other citizens ;]

[James!]

No, it's stupid.. we're in England not middle-east, they should follow our way of life.

[dirrty]

They can wear whatever they want. Some women wear SHORT skirts and i dont see the government saying they are exposing to much there do they?

My RE teacher told me women wearing veils are nothing to do with religion, its just that their husbands want them to dress like that. She could be wrong but meh!

No, it's stupid.. we're in England not middle-east, they should follow our way of life.

So if anyone from england went to the middle-east, we should follow their way of life all the time?

[HELENizSEXYaye?]

No, it's stupid.. we're in England not middle-east, they should follow our way of life.

What he said.
If they're going to come here to live they should be made to live the way people here do.
they make other people feel uncomfortable, and they're less likely to get racist abuse anyway, as it'd be harded to spot that they were muslim.
Muslim's would be less seperate from other people.

If they wanted people to know they were muslim, they could find some more discreet way of showing it, like christians wear a cross.

[ReviewDude]

His comment was based ont hose he was talking to in his surgery. He said, quite rightly, that 90% of communication doesn't come from words, so he asked politely for them to remove their veils.

The idea of veils all stemmed from a passage in the Quar'an where a woman, accompanied by Mohammad, wore a veil when travelling. This was because she lived in the desert and didn't want sand in her eyes.

Having lived in Asia for a long time, you get used to these, but they do look very out of place. It's completely unfair to ask them to remove them entirely (and that was never the case), however in our culture wearing the face mask parts is a tad excessive. No-where is it written they must, and a headscarf is enough to follow the rules.

So yes, they should be allowed to wear them, but I personally object to them and, if I were in Straw's position, I would have done the same thing in face-to-face meetings.

[Undesirable]

I'm far from racist. However, this is all beyond a joke. They blew all this completely outta proportion and cried racism. He asked, if they'd remove it when they spoke to him, he did NOT force them too, this is just the same as, walking into shops, you've to remove your hoodie, helmet, hat or whatever. Why must they cry racism at every single little thing? As i said at the start, i'm not racist, i'd never start a fight or anything, however, we shouldn't feel that we have to watch what we say,do, act or whatever in our own damn country. Insurance policies on homes etc are expected to rise within the next little while, if you live next to Muslim communities - now fair enough this is slightly unfair, but why should we have to be the ones paying all this money?? When it's our own country that we should be able to live in without worry and having to pay all this extra money. I never had a problem, but if things carry on the way they are.. what kinda world are we gonna be living in?

[HELENizSEXYaye?]

I'm far from racist. However, this is all beyond a joke. They blew all this completely outta proportion and cried racism. He asked, if they'd remove it when they spoke to him, he did NOT force them too, this is just the same as, walking into shops, you've to remove your hoodie, helmet, hat or whatever. Why must they cry racism at every single little thing? As i said at the start, i'm not racist, i'd never start a fight or anything, however, we shouldn't feel that we have to watch what we say,do, act or whatever in our own damn country. Insurance policies on homes etc are expected to rise within the next little while, if you live next to Muslim communities - now fair enough this is slightly unfair, but why should we have to be the ones paying all this money?? When it's our own country that we should be able to live in without worry and having to pay all this extra money. I never had a problem, but if things carry on the way they are.. what kinda world are we gonna be living in?

I hate how they cry racism at everything too, it's so stupid.

When one News Reporter's cross was mentioned in a paper, she said she'd take it off if it bothered people, but when muslims are asked to do something like that they kick up hell.

[Callum.]

No, if we went to the middle-east, and took off all our clothes accept underwear, they wouldn't be happy. So same goes with them in out country accept for being clothed.

[Undesirable]

No, if we went to the middle-east, and took off all our clothes accept underwear, they wouldn't be happy. So same goes with them in out country accept for being clothed.

I'm not entirely sure what your trying to say?