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| Version 2 | Version 3 |
|---|---|
| Straw defends Muslim veil stance | Straw defends Muslim veil stance |
| (30 minutes later) | |
| Jack Straw has defended his comments that he would prefer if Muslim women did not wear veils at his surgery. | |
| The Labour MP for Blackburn went even further on BBC Radio 4's Today programme saying he would rather the veil was not worn at all. | |
| The Conservatives criticised Mr Straw over his views, after he said wearing the veil could damage "better, positive relations" between communities . | |
| Downing Street said Mr Straw was expressing a private opinion. | Downing Street said Mr Straw was expressing a private opinion. |
| The prime minister said it was reasonable for people to express opinions. | |
| "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 told the Today programme. | |
| The ex-foreign secretary, whose constituency is about 30% Muslim, earlier told the Lancashire Evening Telegraph women wearing veils could increase "separateness". | |
| Find out about different styles of Muslim headscarfIn graphics | Find out about different styles of Muslim headscarfIn graphics |
| "Wearing the full veil was bound to make better, positive relations between the two communities more difficult," Mr Straw wrote in his local paper. | |
| Being able to see mouths and noses would lead to true "face-to-face" conversations with his constituents. | Being able to see mouths and noses would lead to true "face-to-face" conversations with his constituents. |
| This, he wrote, would enable him to "see what the other person means, and not just hear what they say". | This, he wrote, would enable him to "see what the other person means, and not just hear what they say". |
| He said he made sure he had a female colleague in the room when asking someone to show their mouth and nose - and his constituents had so far always agreed to do so. | He said he made sure he had a female colleague in the room when asking someone to show their mouth and nose - and his constituents had so far always agreed to do so. |
| But Conservative policy director Oliver Letwin said it would be "dangerous doctrine" to tell people how to dress. | |
| He said he did not want to "slip gradually" into a situation where we did not allow differences because they create separations. | |
| "If a person is making a statement about how they want to dress, I think it's pretty important we live in a country where you're allowed to do that," he said. | "If a person is making a statement about how they want to dress, I think it's pretty important we live in a country where you're allowed to do that," he said. |
| Would Jack Straw say the same thing to a nun? Si Send us your comments | Would Jack Straw say the same thing to a nun? Si Send us your comments |
| Mr Straw's comments provoked a mixed response from Muslim groups. | Mr Straw's comments provoked a mixed response from Muslim groups. |
| The Islamic Human Rights Commission labelled the article "astonishing" and accused Mr Straw of discrimination. | The Islamic Human Rights Commission labelled the article "astonishing" and accused Mr Straw of discrimination. |
| The Protect-Hijab organisation said the "appalling" comments showed "a deep lack of understanding". | The Protect-Hijab organisation said the "appalling" comments showed "a deep lack of understanding". |
| But Dr Daud Abdullah, of the Muslim Council of Britain, said he could understand Mr Straw's discomfort adding that women could choose to remove the veil. | |