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Harmless custom or threat? A lot has been made of Muslim women covering their faces with garments. Some think the custom should be banned in Western socities because they believe it hampers integration.

Article Excerpt
A cabinet minister in the United Kingdom started a controversy over the wearing of the veil by Muslim women. In early October 2006, Jack Straw, Leader of the House of Commons and MP for England's Blackburn, asked constituents wearing the niqab (full covering with just the eyes showing) to remove the veil from their faces when meeting him. He said he felt the head covering was a barrier to good community relations.

Blackburn is in northwest England with a large Muslim population of mostly Pakistani origin.

Phil Woolas, another cabinet minister, also said the garment provoked fear. In addition, he felt a Muslim teacher in England who refused to remove her niqab should be fired. The U.K.'s Prime Minister Tony Blair supported the teacher's suspension. He weighed in with the comment that the veil is a "mark of separation" that makes others feel uncomfortable.

Earlier, there was a big fuss in France over a ban on the wearing of headscarves by Muslim students.

In Italy, a politician who said the coverings are not required by the Koran (they aren't) is now under police protection. The country is considering a specific legal ban on face-covering Islamic clothing, even though it already has a national...

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