Is British sense of tolerance a myth?
Kettering MP Philip Hollobone caused controversy this week with his comments about Muslims wearing the burka in public, suggesting they shouldn't be hiding their faces if they want to integrate into British culture.
His comments sparked hundreds of letters, emails and texts from readers, some agreeing with his views, some saying the burka should be banned.
Others said his comments were unnecessary and that there is no problem with women wearing the burka in public.
The debate raised the question, is wearing a burka a race, religious or cultural issue and also opened up more questions.
Do we live in a tolerant society, are we too tolerant or are we not tolerant enough?
As British citizens, if we travel abroad we are asked to abide by the traditions and social ethos of that country.
For example, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office gives guidelines for tourists travelling to Dubai.
They say: "Emiratis dress conservatively in traditional dress and can be offended when westerners dress inappropriately to Islamic values.
"In public places such as shopping malls, restaurants and parks you are encouraged to dress appropriate, shorts and skirts should be of appropriate length – be aware that if you enter one of these areas dressed inappropriately, you may be asked to leave the larger shopping malls."
Given these guidelines for Dubai, should we expect burkas not to be worn in the UK?
Comments left online were mixed.
Scoleman said: "This idea of England being a multicultural centre for community has served only to dilute our sovereignty and our national identity."
Roberto said: "I applaud Mr Hollobone for his bravery in speaking out about this appalling garment which should indeed be banned in public places."
Treacle Tart said: "At the end of the day it's each to their own when it comes to religion. If we go to an Islamic country we have to follow their beliefs and laws so in turn they should follow ours."
Flore said: "Suggesting that all Muslims who wish to practise their religion in their own way should leave the UK would amount to a fundamental breach of human rights.
"It should not be suggested that anyone, of any religion or social group, should leave the country in order to practise their religion. We should respect and value our society's diversity in all its form."
MP says Muslim women should have the right to choose their clothing
Banning women from wearing burkas would go against their freedom of choice, Labour MP for Northampton North Sally Keeble says.
The row over whether the full veil worn by Muslim women should be banned has resurfaced in the light of a proposal in France for the outfits to be outlawed.
It comes as polls have suggested one third of Britain's population would support a ban.
Mrs Keeble said it was important to ensure women were not being forced to wear the burka, but said they should be free to do so if it was their own choice.
She said: "Personally, although I have always done regular advice surgeries for all sections of the community, including for Muslim women, I have never met a woman in Northamptonshire wearing a burka. So this issue should be seen in context.
"Where people's faces need to be seen, for security, work or other similar purposes, then they should remove face coverings.
"However, if it is simply down to personal choice, then people should be able to dress as they like.
"While I don't share the religious beliefs, people are entitled to wear such clothing.
"Some forms of clothing are restrictive for women, and I find those very hard to accept because to me they symbolise discrimination against women.
"I think it is important to challenge the discrimination, which also means ensuring that women who wear such clothing do so of their own free choice."
"MPs have to deal with all their constituents whatever they wear."
Debate rages over the right to wear burkas
It is the religious equivalent of going round with a paper bag over your head with two holes for the eyes.
This was the comment from Kettering MP Philip Hollobone in the House of Commons this week as he called for British Muslim women to stop wearing the burka.
During the parliamentary debate, he said: "I have huge sympathy with those who say they want action against those who want to cover themselves up in public.
"How ridiculous would the House of Commons be if we all wore burkas? How would Mr Speaker be able to identify which Member to call next?
"It is offensive in my view to want to cut yourself off from face-to-face contact or recognition with other members of the human race.
"I think we should certainly look at ways to tackle that issue."
His comments come after a poll revealed a third of Britons want to see an outright ban on wearing the burka in public, and two thirds believe wearing it should be illegal in places such as banks and airports.
The UK Independence Party has already called for an outright ban on the burka in Britain and the French parliament is thought to be considering a law banning the full Islamic veil.
But although Conservative Mr Hollobone told the Evening Telegraph he stands by his comments, his party has been keen to distance itself from the comments, saying they do not represent its views.
Yesterday Mr Hollobone hit back, saying the Conservatives were being cowardly and that the burka is 'inappropriate' in modern British society.
So why has this traditional Muslim custom caused such controversy?
Muslim women wear the veil because it is seen in their religion as a way of preserving their modesty in the presence of men.
Wearers of the burka say they are not forced to cover up but rather they choose to wear it as a mark of respect and because it is stated in the Koran.
But opposers of the burka argue it is out of place in modern Britain and makes communication more difficult.
MP and Secretary of State for Justice Jack Straw hit the headlines when he revealed he asked Muslim women in his constituency to remove their burka in meetings with him because he wanted to talk to them 'face-to-face'.
The custom of wearing the burka is also uncomfortable for some people as Muslim men are not subject to the same code of dress.
Mr Hollobone's remarks have sparked widespread debate about the burka on the Evening Telegraph's website and its Facebook page where readers have been posting their views.
One reader, Roberto, of Kettering, said: "I applaud Mr Hollobone for his bravery in speaking out about this appalling garment which should indeed be banned in public places.
"I often wonder why the Marxist feminist lobby in this country, usually so vocal about Western women's rights, say absolutely nothing about their burka-clad sisters?"
Michael Goode, of Kettering, agrees. He said: "People should be entitled to wear what they like, it is a free country.
"However if someone decides to live in the UK then they should be prepared to change to our way of life and not try to impose their views and religions on us."
But Gail McDade, of Corby, describes Mr Hollobone's views as 'serious ignorance'.
She said: "Some people just want to cause trouble. The women who chose to wear a full burka are entitled to do so. If everyone was a little more accepting of others, we would all get on so much better."
Kettering Muslim Association was shocked by Mr Hollobone's comments in the House of Commons.
Secretary Suhel Dudha said: "Mr Hollobone is entitled to his opinion but it's more than a little short-sighted. MPs are not in a poition to be taking moral lead on things."
Gay group awarded grant of £390,000
A support group for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people in Derbyshire has been awarded more than £390,000.
The Equality and Human Rights Commission has offered Derbyshire Friend £393,120 – the largest amount from its latest round of grants that has seen 61 projects share £10m.
Derbyshire Friend will use it to encourage more reporting of hate crime and harassment, develop a newsletter and pay for additional posts to help run support groups.
Toni Montinaro, manager at Derbyshire Friend, said: "It's brilliant news, not just for us but by the fact that this money is coming into Derby.
"One of the first things we want to look at setting up is developing support systems for young people who have become victims of hate crime and homophobic bullying."And we also want to improve awareness of same-sex domestic violence which our studies show affects one on four people locally."
Mr Montinaro explained that the money would be awarded over three years and depended on the organisation achieving goals set out by the commission.
Baroness Margaret Prosser, deputy chairman of the Equality and Human Rights Commission, said that the grants went to projects that had good understanding of how to provide benefit in their local communities.
More than 2,000 organisations applied to the commission for grants, with just 61 being successful.
Grants ranged from £40,000 to the £393,000 awarded to Derbyshire Friend.
From today's Leicester Mercury:
Race rant Leicestershire Councillor is suspended
A Leicestershire county councillor has been suspended for a month and told to undergo further diversity training over remarks he made at a public meeting.
Robert Fraser has admitted that he was "stupid" to say that Romanians would "stick a knife in you as soon as look at you", and that some Europeans "make the Irish look like complete amateurs".
A County Hall standards sub-committee found the councillor for Groby and Ratby behaved in a way that could have brought his position, and that of the council, into disrepute.
Members agreed he had breached Leicestershire County Council's code of conduct and he was reprimanded officially at a hearing on Tuesday.
Despite already having been to sent to diversity training by the county's Tory party, the committee ruled he must go again, ideally on a one-to-one basis, and pay the first £250 of the cost. For his month's suspension, which has started immediately, all allowances for that period will be withdrawn.
An investigation began after complaints were made about his conduct at a Groby Parish Council meeting to discuss plans for a site for about 50 caravans off Sacheverell Way in Groby.
The outburst was recorded and released on internet video site YouTube.
It was seen by hundreds of people online as well as hundreds more at the public meeting.
He responded to a comment from the audience by saying: "Some of these European ones, they make the Irish look like complete amateurs and I would dread, I would dread, to see them in Groby.
"The Romanians; they're lovely people they are. They'll stick a knife in you soon as look at you.
"There might be some good ones. Excuse me if there are any Romanians here. Hopefully without a knife. I've got to get out of here. I'm a bit slow.
"What's going to happen to the loved ones that have been buried in a cemetery with a transit site around the corner? We know what's going to happen there straight away. You can only imagine it.
"Over my dead body will they come here."
When the remarks came to light in March this year, two months after the meeting on January 8, chairman of the Leicester Gipsy Council liaison group, Alfie Kefford, called for Coun Fraser to resign and said the comments were akin to "incitement to racial hatred", adding: "To do it in a public place is totally unacceptable."
The Romanian ambassador to the UK, Dr Ion Jinga, said the comments were "extremely regrettable and totally unfair".
At the hearing on Tuesday afternoon, Councillor Fraser said only a few words and questions were directed to chairman of Groby Parish Council, Peter Batty, who was representing him.
Mr Batty argued that while Mr Fraser did not deny saying these things, he did not believe he was there in his capacity as a county councillor, so could not bring the authority or his position into disrepute.
He also argued it was the public's view which best showed whether he brought himself or the authority into disrepute, and he was re-elected in July.
He said: "He is not denying that he said those statements. He bitterly regrets them and is not making excuses.
"The video does not establish any relationship with Leicestershire County Council. You have no evidence that he was acting in his official capacity.
"The most reasonable test is of public opinion. I would suggest that Mr Fraser passed this test at the county council elections."
However, these arguments were firmly rejected by the panel.
Panel chairman Martin Caple said: "We are satisfied Mr Fraser made a derogatory statement and the comment did not fall into part of an acceptable opinion.
"Your conduct is in breach and you brought your office into disrepute and could have brought the authority into disrepute."
Theme park asks Leicester teenager to prove disability
A teenage wheelchair-user was left angry and upset after staff at a theme park asked him to prove he was disabled.
Mohamad Hussain, 16, was challenged by staff at Alton Towers' guest care centre when he asked for a special wristband which would enable him to jump queues for the Staffordshire attraction's rides.
Mohamad has muscle-wasting Duchenne's muscular dystrophy.
He is unable to stand or perform tasks such as dressing or feeding himself.
His mum, Jamila, eventually managed to convince staff her son qualified for disabled access.But the teenager then discovered that the extent of his disability meant there were few attractions he could access anyway.
Mohamad, from Highfields, Leicester, said he "could not believe it" when staff challenged him to prove he was disabled.
He said: "It made me feel very bad. We were asking for wristbands which they give out to people with difficulties so they don't have to queue for a long time."
He added: "I went to Disney World not long ago and it was amazing. We were treated really well.
"I think some theme parks are behind the times when it comes to caring for the disabled."
Mum Jamila, 43, said: "I didn't know what to say when the young man asked me to prove that Mohamad was disabled. He was in a wheelchair in front of him.
"Maybe if Mohamad wasn't in a wheelchair then I could understand. But I don't usually carry a doctor's letter because no one has ever asked him to prove it before."
Jamila said that despite having the wristband, her son was unable to enjoy many of the attractions because access required more mobility than Mohamad was capable of.
She said: "After going to all the trouble of getting the wristbands we couldn't get on any of the rides anyway.
"They said there was disabled access to all the amusements but he wasn't able to go on a single ride.
"We spent the day walking around looking at the rides and shops and then went home.
"It's really disappointing and more should be done to accommodate people with disabilities, especially at big theme parks like Alton Towers."
A spokeswoman for Alton Towers said: "We offer various attractions, for example our sea life aquarium Sharkbait Reef, a variety of animals to meet and greet in Old McDonald's Farmyard and numerous shows, which means guests have other options than just rides.
"In terms of us requesting proof of disability, this is company policy and for auditing purposes.
"In some circumstances we do not require proof of disability, however we need evidence of why a wristband has been authorised."
Good verdict in disability survey
An undercover survey has found Leicestershire is better than average when it comes to providing disabled students with the things they need to get the most out of university life.
Campaigners from Trailblazers carried out investigations at 77 UK universities to find out whether halls of residence, lecture theatres and bars had disabled access.
They also wanted to know whether the universities had societies for disabled students, disability guides and accessible transport.
The universities were contacted anonymously and asked 15 questions about what they provide for disabled students and then given a percentage score.
The average was 73%, but De Montfort University scored 88%, and the University of Leicester and Loughborough University both scored 83%.
The survey was carried out because Trailblazers, part of the Muscular Dystrophy Society, is concerned many disabled people are missing out on the best university experience – or even being put off going – because of a lack of the things they need when they are there.
Nick Willis, of East Midlands Trailblazers, said that while the Leicestershire scores were higher than average, changes still needed to be made.
He said: "Some universities fell well short of having the right facilities for disabled people but the Leicestershire ones were quite good.
"There is, however, room for improvement and hopefully our report will lead to that."
The investigation found none of the three Leicestershire universities have an accessible toilet with a hoist in every one of their buildings.
The University of Leicester was found to have no group or society for disabled students and its website was given nought out of five because it lacked information on disability access, while not all of Loughborough's teaching rooms had disabled access.
Mr Willis, 25, a graduate who has Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy and uses a wheelchair, said: "Although the facilities at universities may be good, sometimes the social side lags behind. It's a culture thing that needs to change."
University of Leicester spokesman Peter Thorley said: "We were pleased to see the University of Leicester rated well, but we're not complacent."
A spokeswoman for De Montfort University said: "De Montfort University is leading the way in the region and we are proud of the work we do."
This article is published in today's Leicester Mercury:
Pair stage sit-in bus protest
A disabled man and his carer staged a sit-in protest on a bus after they were told there was no room for them.
Stuart White and Roger Hartshorn, who is in a wheelchair, tried to get a ride home to Highfields, Leicester, on the No 17 bus from Yeoman Street in the city centre yesterday afternoon.
But a mother with a young baby in a buggy were taking up the space that can be used for wheelchairs or buggies.
Mr White, 65, was told that he and Mr Hartshorn, 79, could not be on the bus as well as the woman with the buggy. But Mr White refused to budge.
The stand-off lasted around 45 minutes, with the other passengers – including the woman with the buggy – getting off and taking other buses pulling up into Yeoman Street.
A First Bus supervisor arrived and Mr White and Mr Hartshorn were taken to Highfields on the bus with no other passengers on board.
Eyewitness Selina Eagle, 21, from the city's West End, said: "The driver was trying to kick the man in the wheelchair off. The passengers were getting angry because the driver refused to drive the bus."
A spokesman for First said: "The whole idea of having easy access to buses is for us to make them more usable for people in wheelchairs and for people with children in buggies as well. But there are occasions when we will have conflicts."
Hundreds sign up for disability ID scheme
MORE than 1,000 people in Notts have signed up to a pioneering scheme allowing them to prove they have a disability.
The cards, which are being produced by the county council, help people who are not obviously disabled use services they are entitled to.
Since being launched last summer, 1,200 people have been given the photo-identity cards.
The authority, the first in the country to offer the scheme, is now planning to provide free cards to disabled children.
Youngsters will be able to choose from designs featuring a giraffe, a leaf or a dove if councillors give the go-ahead.
The scheme has now been recognised nationally after being shortlisted for two awards.
Paul McKay, director of adult social services for the county council, said its success had been "phenomenal".
He said: "It has given people more respect and dignity and improved their well-being.
"Not everyone has an obvious disability and this scheme gives people a lot more confidence."
The cards are designed to fit in a purse or wallet and include the holder's picture.In some cases, people with colostomy bags have been able to use the card to prove they are disabled when entering nightclubs.
As many as 40 people a week in Notts are now applying for the cards and the council has taken on a new part-time worker to deal with requests.
Arnold resident Terry Gallagher – who has had his bladder and large intestine removed but doesn't use a wheelchair or walking aid – came up with the idea.
He said: "The council deserves a tremendous amount of credit for doing this. I know a lady who suffers very badly from asthma who found a disabled seat on the bus and started using her inhaler.
"A group of young mums started calling her names for using the seat, but the poor woman was fighting to breathe and was so frightened she wouldn't go out.
"But she now has a disability card and is able to go out because she has the confidence. It is a wonderful scheme."
Michael Northridge, 69, of Hucknall, often needs to use the toilet at short notice after having an ileostomy.
He said: "When I saw this I thought it was a brilliant idea. I have already used it twice in emergencies.
"Once I had to visit a pub to use the toilet and I had the card already at hand. I felt very confident about it."
Leaflets and application forms for the cards are available at most libraries and all county contact points, where advisors can are on hand to help.
They are also available by phoning 08449 808080.
