I do understand IA and you know what will teach me a lesson if I am thinking incorrectly and need to adjust? It will be the aftermath once the ban is in place in France and anything really negative happens ... on the other hand if it works out well I will be emailing my MP again. He actually took the time to write back to me, here is what he wrote:
20th July 2010
Dear
Thank you for your email dated 18th July 2010 regarding proposals to ban the Burka. .
I do not support a ban on the Burka. I believe that it is not the role of the state to prescribe what people may or may not where and I share the view of my colleague Damian Green, Minister for Immigration, that such a ban would be “un-British”.
I appreciate the points you make in your email and it may well be the case that women wearing the Burka do find it harder to integrate. That is why it is important that it should truly be a question of personal choice. I am satisfied that when it comes to issues of security most women who wear the Burka understand there are times when they must reveal their face. I also agree that we all have a responsibility to promote British values among Muslims, and indeed across the population. However I believe that the British value of freedom of expression is the overriding one in this case.
Finally, there is a real danger that a ban on the Burka could have quite the opposite effect to the ones you describe. Women who are obliged by their faith or by their families to wear the Burka would be confined to their homes under a ban – this would hardly encourage assimilation. A ban could have the effect of further dividing people in this country which could in turn encourage extremism. Instead I believe that a tolerant approach will draw people to be more comfortable with British normal practice and perhaps encourage people to choose for themselves not to wear the Burka.
Yours sincerely,
Needless to say, I disagree with a lot of his comments. I think it is just good I gave my points and even linked Maryam's points and let him think about how some of his voters feel.
Topic: Maryam Namazie interview: Ireland: