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| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| Straw words 'sparked veil attack' | Straw words 'sparked veil attack' |
| (30 minutes later) | |
| A leading Muslim has blamed Jack Straw's comments for an attack in which a woman's veil was torn from her face. | A leading Muslim has blamed Jack Straw's comments for an attack in which a woman's veil was torn from her face. |
| The woman was attacked in Liverpool by a man shouting racist abuse, the day after the former foreign secretary criticised veils that cover the face. | The woman was attacked in Liverpool by a man shouting racist abuse, the day after the former foreign secretary criticised veils that cover the face. |
| Mohammed Akbar Ali, ex-chair of the Liverpool Islamic Institute, said Mr Straw should have known better. | Mohammed Akbar Ali, ex-chair of the Liverpool Islamic Institute, said Mr Straw should have known better. |
| Merseyside Police, who say the attack was a hate crime, met Muslim leaders on Saturday to hear their concerns. | Merseyside Police, who say the attack was a hate crime, met Muslim leaders on Saturday to hear their concerns. |
| Mr Akbar Ali, who was involved in the campaign to free Liverpool hostage Ken Bigley in Iraq, said the attack was no coincidence. | Mr Akbar Ali, who was involved in the campaign to free Liverpool hostage Ken Bigley in Iraq, said the attack was no coincidence. |
| I put the blame squarely and without any hesitation on Jack Straw Mohammed Akbar Ali | |
| "I put the blame squarely and without any hesitation on Jack Straw," he said. | "I put the blame squarely and without any hesitation on Jack Straw," he said. |
| "He's a responsible member of the government and is in a constituency with a large number of Muslims - he should have known better than make such a statement." | "He's a responsible member of the government and is in a constituency with a large number of Muslims - he should have known better than make such a statement." |
| Mr Straw, Labour MP for Blackburn and leader of the House of Commons, said he believed covering faces could make community relations more difficult. | |
| He said watching facial expressions was an important part of contact between people. | |
| He said he had asked Muslim women meeting him at his constituency surgeries to remove their veils. | |
| Some Muslims called his remarks insulting, but others said they understood his concerns. | |
| Speaking of the attack on the woman, Insp Saied Mostaghel of Merseyside Police said it was despicable and had left the victim feeling extremely shocked. | |
| The attacker is described as white and slim with silver-grey hair. He was wearing a light khaki jacket and grey trousers. |