Banning veil is oppressive, says Salma Yaqoob

Plans to ban Muslim women from covering their faces in public areas are oppressive, the leader of the Respect party said yesterday.

Salma Yaqoob's comments came as the UK Independence Party (UKIP) announced a formal policy that would make the wearing of garments such as the burka or the niqab – both of which conceal most of the face – to be illegal.

Nigel Farage, the former UKIP leader and MEP, said: "In a liberal democracy we want to tolerate different religions and cultures and not have a small section of society impose their world view on the rest of us."

Ms Yaqoob said: "We do not need a man or a woman telling people what to wear."

Times, 18 January 2010