What a lot of the muslims don't seem to realise (or they do and are being deliberately provocative) is that covering the face is offensive and has conotations of evil in Western culture. For instance, armed robbers and Irish terrorists often wear balaclavas, executioners used to wear hoods and the Klu Klux Klan wear hoods. People cover their faces when they don't want to be identified and therefore, it is virtually impossible to trust them.
On another issue which I don't think has been mentioned is that of security. Jack Straw is a high profile former cabinet minister and as such I think it is literally inconceivable to allow someone into his prescence that hasn't been frisked and identified. Is it Mrs Muhammed the Burnley housewife or Mr Muhammed the Jihadist under the veil, who the **** knows without looking?
On another issue which I don't think has been mentioned is that of security. Jack Straw is a high profile former cabinet minister and as such I think it is literally inconceivable to allow someone into his prescence that hasn't been frisked and identified. Is it Mrs Muhammed the Burnley housewife or Mr Muhammed the Jihadist under the veil, who the **** knows without looking?