Britain must ban 'offensive' burkha in public says MP
MINISTERS were yesterday urged to “seriously consider’’ banning burkhas in public as a Conservative MP became the first mainstream British politician to back the idea.
Philip Hollobone told the Commons: “This is Britain. We are not a Muslim country. Covering your face in public is strange and to many people both intimidating and offensive.”
Wearing the full-face burkha was “oppressive and regressive’’ to the advancement of women, he told a Commons debate to mark this week’s International Women’s Day.
It was not until recently when he took his children to a park in his Kettering constituency and saw a woman wearing one that “it came home how inappropriate and offensive it is for people to wear this apparel in the 21st century”.
Mr Hollobone added: “In my view, and the view of my constituents, wearing the burkha is not an acceptable form of dress and the banning of it should be seriously considered.’’
By wearing them women effectively said they wanted no “normal human dialogue or interaction with anyone else ... and that our society is so objectionable we aren’t even allowed to cast a glance upon them’’.
He said: “It goes against the British way of life. If we all went around wearing burkhas, our country would be a very sad place.’’
A similar ban has been backed by the UK Independence Party.
Opinion polls show strong support in Britain for restricting the wearing of burkhas, for example in banks and airports, although there is less support for a ban in all public places and no demands for an outright ban.
After the Commons debate, Mr Hollobone told the Daily Express he spoke out after being “bowled over’’ by the positive response he received from the public after he previously questioned the wearing of burkhas.
He said: “This is not an anti- Muslim or anti-religious thing, and it’s not about veils which cover only the head or neck.
“It’s about covering your face in public, which is something we normally associate with people attending controversial trials or motorcyclists or burglars.
“It is not a religious requirement and it is banned in some Muslim countries such as Turkey and Tunisia. Yet it is an increasingly common sight in Britain and it is making us feel like strangers in our own land.’’
Earlier in the Commons debate, Pakistan-born Labour MP Mohammad Sarwar told MPs: “I think that’s the women’s choice. Yes, there should be action taken against those who are forcing women to wear hijabs. But I don’t think it’s a big issue in this country and I don’t think there’s a need for this to be debated.’’
Solicitor General Vera Baird, winding up the debate, said she did not agree with Mr Hollobone.
Last month Justice Secretary Jack Straw, who stirred controversy in 2006 when he revealed he asked Muslim constituents to remove their veils at his advice surgeries, said: “I would prefer if people didn’t wear a burkha but you can’t ban it.’’ He also warned that a ban would waste police time.
Burkhas are worn by an estimated 100,000 of the 2.4 million Muslims in this country.
Earlier this year, an inquiry by French MPs concluded that the veils should be banned on public transport and in buildings such as hospitals and schools in France, but they stopped short of backing a ban on wearing them in the street.
