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Lib Dem minister calls for debate on Islamic veil Lib Dem minister calls for debate on Islamic veil
(about 4 hours later)
The government should consider banning young Muslim women from wearing the veil in public places, a Liberal Democrat minister has said. The Home Office minister, Jeremy Browne, called for a national debate on whether the state should step in to prevent young women having the veil imposed upon them. His intervention came after a row erupted over the decision by Birmingham Metropolitan college to drop a ban on the wearing of full-face veils amid public protests.The government should consider banning young Muslim women from wearing the veil in public places, a Liberal Democrat minister has said. The Home Office minister, Jeremy Browne, called for a national debate on whether the state should step in to prevent young women having the veil imposed upon them. His intervention came after a row erupted over the decision by Birmingham Metropolitan college to drop a ban on the wearing of full-face veils amid public protests.
Browne said he was "instinctively uneasy" about restricting religious freedoms, but said there may be a case to act to protect girls who were too young to decide for themselves whether they wished to wear the veil or not.Browne said he was "instinctively uneasy" about restricting religious freedoms, but said there may be a case to act to protect girls who were too young to decide for themselves whether they wished to wear the veil or not.
"I think this is a good topic for national debate. People of liberal instincts will have competing notions of how to protect and promote freedom of choice," he told the Daily Telegraph. "I am instinctively uneasy about restricting the freedom of individuals to observe the religion of their choice. That would apply to Christian minorities in the Middle East just as much as to religious minorities here in Britain."I think this is a good topic for national debate. People of liberal instincts will have competing notions of how to protect and promote freedom of choice," he told the Daily Telegraph. "I am instinctively uneasy about restricting the freedom of individuals to observe the religion of their choice. That would apply to Christian minorities in the Middle East just as much as to religious minorities here in Britain.
"But there is genuine debate about whether girls should feel a compulsion to wear a veil when society deems children to be unable to express personal choices about other areas like buying alcohol, smoking or getting married. We should be very cautious about imposing religious conformity on a society which has always valued freedom of expression.""But there is genuine debate about whether girls should feel a compulsion to wear a veil when society deems children to be unable to express personal choices about other areas like buying alcohol, smoking or getting married. We should be very cautious about imposing religious conformity on a society which has always valued freedom of expression."
It is thought that Browne, who is attending his party's annual conference in Glasgow, is the first senior Lib Dem to voice such concerns in public. However, there are signs that his views are shared by a number of Tory MPs, who were dismayed at the way the Birmingham Metropolitan College case was handled.It is thought that Browne, who is attending his party's annual conference in Glasgow, is the first senior Lib Dem to voice such concerns in public. However, there are signs that his views are shared by a number of Tory MPs, who were dismayed at the way the Birmingham Metropolitan College case was handled.
The chief executive of the Ramadhan Foundation, Mohammed Shafiq, said he was "disgusted" by Browne's remarks.
"This is another example of the double standards that are applied to Muslims in our country by some politicians," he said.
"Whatever one's religion they should be free to practise it according to their own choices and any attempt by the government to ban Muslim women will be strongly resisted by the Muslim community.
"We take great pride in the United Kingdom's values of individual freedom and freedom of religion and any attempt by illiberal male politicians to dictate to Muslim women what they should wear will be challenged.
He added: "I call on the Liberal Democrats to disown these illiberal comments from Jeremy Browne and ensure that no government with Lib Dem participation introduces this stupid bill. If they fail to do this then they will face the consequences at the next general election from Muslim voters.
"We would expect these sorts of comments from the far right and authoritarian politicians and not from someone who allegedly believes in liberal values and freedom."
Tory backbencher Dr Sarah Wollaston said the veils were "deeply offensive" and were "making women invisible" and called for the niqab to be banned in schools and colleges.Tory backbencher Dr Sarah Wollaston said the veils were "deeply offensive" and were "making women invisible" and called for the niqab to be banned in schools and colleges.
Writing in the Telegraph, she said: "It would be a perverse distortion of freedom if we knowingly allowed the restriction of communication in the very schools and colleges which should be equipping girls with skills for the modern world. We must not abandon our cultural belief that women should fully and equally participate in society."Writing in the Telegraph, she said: "It would be a perverse distortion of freedom if we knowingly allowed the restriction of communication in the very schools and colleges which should be equipping girls with skills for the modern world. We must not abandon our cultural belief that women should fully and equally participate in society."