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The debate today was every fast moving. I recommend you listen to it again using the link on the right to really get a sense of it.

Here are some the comments we recieved:

Abdul Alam, Nelson

Modesty in clothing was introduced as a way of protecting women from lusting advances from men. However, the veil is a step too far. Even I feel uncomfortable speaking to a muslim sister in veil. Conversation works best when we can really express ourselves and that includes all facial expressions.

Andrea Stone, London, United Kingdom

At last, someone has the guts to speak out on a Muslim subject. It is about time that we had a reasonable debate about how the Muslim community in the UK expect everyone else to bend to their way of thinking.

John Rattray, Edinburgh

Jack Straw is quite right. It is most disconcerting to speak to someone when you cannot see their face, in fact how do we know it is a woman? When we visit their countries our women have to respect their culture so why do they live here and not respect ours?

John Thomson

Wearing a veil is not a necessary part of the muslim religion. It is a choice on the part of muslim women. I do not deny their right to wear a veil, but it would improve communication between religious communities if they did not.

Complete covering of the face is optional in Islam anyway.

Rene, London

If the veil is not a symbol of oppression, why don't muslim men wear it ?

Mark writes:
I a

gree with Jack Straw on this, in western culture it is considered rude to not remove ones hat, sunglasses etc. when meeting with people. This has nothing to do with culture or racism, just plain good manners. Well said Jack.

Emma, Bradford

I fully agree with Jack Straws comments. Over the last few years there has been a noticable increase in the number of women wearing veils that completely cover their faces, which is of course within peoples rights. However the whole image it puts across feels negative and unnerving.

M.Saeed, Islamabad

Jack Straw is completely flawed in his concept about Veils. Islam imposes equal responsibilities about decency on man and woman and directs them alike about "veiling their intended gaze" of the opposite gender. In an ideal Islamic society, men would never see a women to qualify his sight becoming Gaze and the women would not make any moves to create reasons for a normal view becoming a Gaze. Short of this, Veils are adopted as stop-gap arrangement. Remember Muslim women are forbidden to veil in Hujj.

Franaz Tabraiz, Bristol

I'm a muslim and I partially cover my head to show respect for my religion. I don't see anything wrong with Jack's request for the veil to be removed as you can't communicate properly whilst wearing it.

M Rajab, Stafford

The essence of a veil is to avoid strangers of opposite sex communicating with women. It is the same for men as in women in terms of intermingling with opposite sex. So the point is that women who wear veil do not want to communicate with strangers anyway. When an "Ideal muslim" women speaks she means what she says, so body language & facial expression don't count.

Mohammad Ali, TX USA

I think Mr Jack Straw has no knowledge about Islam and its religious duties. Our religion does not allow women to uncover the veil.It is the same way like Christian Nuns can not live with out it.

Saaima Umarji, Preston

muslim ladies should definitely be aloud to wear there veils because it goes against our religion and other people should have the slightest respect for ladies who wear their veils.

Bernard in Preston here in the UK says:

What concerns me is that most of the women who wear this garb were probably born and bred in Britain.They insult the generations of courageous women who struggled to attain real equality to become truly visible in this country.

Steve Petersen from Salt Lake City, USA

Women who wear the veil do not have to worry about putting on make up or people judging them by how beautiful they look. Not having to worry about make up or superficial judgments is a freedom in itself.

Luthfa, London

My neighbours who live opposite don't wear a veil & i see there faces everyday they never smile or say hello. I see a veiled woman at the bus stop every morning and she also never smiles or says hello.

Lucy, Manchester

Lets all wear paper bags!!! The world would be such a better place, so interesting too!!! I'd pay less for make-up and haircuts then!!!

Andrea in Bogota, Colombia says:

I just spent the last 4 years living in Tajikistan, where most women wear scarves and semi-veils. I never noticed that wearing a veil constricted communications or community relations in any way. One reason women wear veils is to discourage strange men from assuming they are free to 'chat them up'.