Jack Straw sparks row over Muslim women wearing veil

London, Oct 6 (UNI) Former British foreign secretary Jack Straw is at the centre of a row following his call for Muslim women to discard their veils saying full veils made community relations ''more difficult''.

Mr Straw, presently Leader of the House of Commons, sparked off controversy when he revealed that he asks female visitors to his Blackburn constituency to uncover their faces to improve ''community relations''.

When asked if he advocated that veils should be discarded completely, Mr Straw said, ''Yes. It needs to be made clear... I am not talking about being prescriptive but with all the caveats, yes, I would rather.'' ''You cannot force people where they live, that's a matter of choice and economics, but you can be concerned about the implications of separateness and I am,'' Mr Straw wrote in a regular column for the Lancashire Telegraph.

Meanwhile, Muslim leaders in his constituency said many women would find his comments, originally made in his local newspaper, ''offensive and disturbing''.

Mr Straw said a meeting with a veiled woman had made him consider the 'apparent incongruity' between her entirely English accent and UK education and wearing of the veil.

''Above all, it was because I felt uncomfortable about talking to someone face to face who I could not see,'' he wrote, adding that no one had refused his request.

But Conservative policy director Oliver Letwin said it would be a ''dangerous doctrine'' to start telling people how to dress, while Liberal Democrat party chairman Simon Hughes dubbed the remarks as ''insensitive and surprising''.

The Lancashire Council of Mosques said Mr Straw had ''misunderstood'' the issue and it was deeply concerned by his very ''insensitive and unwise'' statement.

''For such a seasoned and astute politician to make such a comment that has shocked his Muslim constituents seems ill-judged and misconceived,'' a spokesman said.

The Islamic Human Rights Commission said Mr Straw was ''selectively discriminating''.

But Dr Daud Abdullah, of the Muslim Council of Britain said he understood Mr Straw's views. ''This (the veil) does cause some discomfort to non-Muslims. One can understand this,'' he said, adding Muslim opinion was divided on the wearing of the veil.

Downing Street said Mr Straw was expressing a private opinion.

Labour Party chairwoman Hazel Blears said his request to constituents was ''perfectly proper''.

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