[jambutty]

This veil issue has got out of hand. Jeremy Vine is now asking listeners to vote on whether, the full Muslim dress the nikab (that leaves just the eyes visible), should be banned or not. I assume that this would also include the dress that hides the eyes behind a veil.

My answer is NO it should not be banned. What should happen is that if two people meet they should be able to see each other’s faces, especially if the meeting is to conduct some sort of business. The only exception being if the two people involved are both wearing clothing that covers all or part of the face. There is one other exception and that is if someone has a badly disfigured face that they feel uncomfortable with and do not want to show it. Although that could open a whole new can of worms.

“Please remove your veil.”
“Sorry I can’t, I have a disfigured face.”
How to you prove that they haven’t?

I would refuse to be served by a shopkeeper or checkout lady if she was fully veiled. If I were being interviewed for a job or presenting my application for Housing Benefits etc. I would ask for the interviewer to either remove the veil or change places with a non-veiled person. It would be exactly the same the other way around. I would not serve a veiled person nor interview them until they removed the veil.

This whole issue isn’t about the many different facets that have sprung up around it but simply conducting business face to face unhindered by a veil. That is the western way and nothing and no one should challenge that.