Blackburn (UK), October 14
A handful of protesters today demonstrated outside the office of British
Cabinet minister and former Foreign Secretary Jack Straw to denounce his
remarks about Muslim women, who veil their faces.
Mr Straw, a former Foreign Secretary, sparked a fierce debate about
the integration of Muslims into British society when he said he asked
Muslim women to unveil their faces when they meet with him.
About 60 protesters-some chanting “The veil is freedom. The veil is
liberation. The veil is choice”- heckled Mr Straw as he left a
community centre in Blackburn, northwest England, after meeting
constituents.
Mr Straw said yesterday that he had the support of Muslim leaders in
his Blackburn constituency, where one in five persons is Muslim. —
AP
