[West Ender]

I lived for a while in Saudi Arabia in the 80s. In the compound where we lived I could wear what I liked. When I went outside the compound I had to cover my arms and legs and to visit the souk I had to wear an abeyah, the long black cloak. I did not have any choice in the matter, it was the Law.

Saudi Arabia professes to respect all religions but, although cards and decorations were on sale at Christmas, the cards only said Happy Holiday because the word Christmas was forbidden, as was Easter and anything else connected with Christianity. I knew a lot of Christian Lebanese. They had an "underground" priest (an engineer in his day job) who said mass illicitly in private homes. Had he been discovered he would have been deported.

I have respect for all Faiths and I would not like my country to treat other religions in that way but I am angered by the way other Faiths are promoted way beyond our traditional Christianity. I believe any schoolgirl, schoolboy, worker or whatever should have to conform to British dress standards for the sake of Health and Safety at the very least. There are occasions when flowing garments are an impediment. I also believe that the promotion of separateness, as typified by traditional modes of dress, is creating a divided nation. This girl would be no less a good Muslim if she wore a school uniform; faith is contained in the heart and mind, not in what we wear.

Just for the record, I don't speak as a biased Christian, Jew or Hindu. I have no religious affinity of my own.