By Ben Kerrigan-
UKIP leadership candidate Lisa Duffy has called for Muslim veils to be banned in public places, in a bid to make women who wear them feel more “British.”
UKIP’s Lisa Duffy says her proposal is aimed at pushing for increased integration, arguing that “Muslims who were simply born in this country…are as British as I am and I simply want them to feel as British as I do,” PA reports.
Again, it is about making sure there is one law for all, rather than making an exception for a community because we are frightened of causing offence. There is no offence to be taken if all are treated equally.”
“On our public transport networks, in public buildings, banks, stores and shopping precincts – all those places where teenagers are told to take their hoodies down and where motorcyclists are expected to remove their helmets – it is only reasonable to expect everyone to show their faces.”
The rule should apply “just as much to the retinues accompanying Middle Eastern princes to London as it will to Muslim women living in Britain,”Duffy is expected to say.
Duff’s proposal will be frowned at by Muslim groups in the Uk, many of whom may see it as Islamophobia. However, it isn’t necessarily . It is a move designed to ensure we can see the faces of everyone.
However, it could be Islamophobia in disguise, though much will depend on the precise motives of those advocating this proposal.
“I have a positive vision for British Islam where girls can grow up with equal rights to men and be given the rights of self-determination the rest of us take for granted,” Duff said.
She will add: “Why should I, as a white, Christian woman, effectively enjoy greater civil and human rights “My ambition is that everyone, from every community, should be able to enjoy the same rights and have the same independent control over their lives and their bodies as I do.”
Duffy is also expected to demand the closure of Islamic faith schools until the issue of Islamic terrorism is addressed, as well as a “complete and comprehensive ban” on Sharia courts in Britain.
A ban on Sharia courts in Britain isn’t unreasonable, though a proposal to close Islamic faith schools will certainly cause uproar in Islamic circles in the UK.The issue of the veil is a matter of religion on opinion, though it is rational to conclude that in this age of terrorism, there is an important need for us to be able to see the faces of everybody, without people being able to use religion to conceal their identity.