[Acrylic-bob]

Hello Everyone,

I thought I might as well drop my two-pennorth into the argument, if nobody objects.

I largely agree with Jambutty and Tealeaf on this; the matter, at heart, is one of a refusal by a minority to pay anything more than the most superficial lip service to the concept of integration. The minority are jealous of the rights they have as British subjects, but are careless and largely ignorant of the responsibilities that are concomittant with those rights - you know, old fashioned British concepts like ummmm.... fair play, honesty, respect for the law and simple courtesy.

As many of you are no doubt aware, I have very little time for or patience with religionists of whatever stripe or flavour. Nor do I have time or patience to consider or pander to their often bizarre and illogical self-imposed limitations. The Niquab and Bourka I count among these limitations. They are worn to assert difference and as an affront to the host culture which is largely despised. It would not surprise to to discover that there is also an element of radical muslim chic mixed up in there too!

Unusually, for me, I agree that Jack Straw was correct in drawing this issue to the attention of the public. Though considering the supine response of the Labour Party in connection with the issues of mass immigration from the Indian Sub-continent and mealy mouthed, politically correct, apologism in the face of the excesses of the immigrant population, I rather fancy it is, as usual, too little, too late.