Face veils and respect for British culture | Letters

We all need to respect the culture in which we live, says Fatima Mirza, while Jenny Bushell argues that the face veil is a 12th-century custom that discriminates against women

As a Muslim woman, the case of Rachida Serroukh (Mother sues daughter's school over face veil ban, 21 July) fills me with dismay. It has been widely documented that there is no religious obligation, in the Qur'an, for a woman to wear a face veil, burqa or niqab, but simply to dress modestly.

I wonder if she thought the staff at the school (or the children) would look at her suggestively. I very much doubt they would. The face veil can be intimidating and frightening for children. Ironically, the countries that encourage women to wear a burqa or niqab are those where women's education is thought to be unnecessary and dangerous.

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