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Blair slams veil

Hasan Suroor

LONDON: British Prime Minister Tony Blair on Tuesday waded into the "burqa'' controversy by endorsing the view that the veil worn by Muslim women was a "mark of separateness'' and an obstacle to integration. This was Mr. Blair's first intervention since the row erupted nearly two weeks ago after Jack Straw, Leader of the Commons, criticised the practice of wearing "burqa'' saying it emphasised separateness and made others uncomfortable. Mr. Blair's support for Mr. Straw's remarks was seen as giving boost to what some Muslims, including Labour MPs and peers, regard as an officially-backed campaign against their cultural and social practices. Though he hastened to add that he was not saying anyone should be "forced'' to do anything, he made clear his own distaste for "burqa''. "It is a mark of separateness and makes people outside the community uncomfortable,'' he said.

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