More than half the British public feel that Muslim women SHOULD NOT wear the niqab in public places, according to a new poll.
A ComRes opinion poll for Channel 4 found that 56% of respondents said they were against the wearing of the full face-veil (niqab), while 55% said they would support a national ban, similar to the legislation that was passed in France in 2010.
The niqab, which only shows the eyes of the wearer, has been the topic of intense contention in Britain, especially over whether wearing the face veil should be allowed when giving evidence in court.
The poll posed the question to Britons whether the niqab should be outlawed in public places, such as courtrooms, schools and hospitals, with 81% saying they would support such a ban.
Birmingham Metropolitan College
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The revelation came after recent outrage by Muslims which forced Birmingham Metropolitan College (BMC) to overturn a ban on niqabs and a ruling by a judge that Muslim women must remove the veil to give evidence in court.
BMC’s anti-niqab policy came just days after politicians discussed banning the burqa. Tory MP Philip Hollobone – who refuses to see constituents who will not lift their veils – raised the issue in a Private Member’s Bill, saying it “goes against the basic part of the British way of life”.
The poll found that three-quarters (76%) said they were unsure of how to relate to women wearing the full face veil, while more than half (56%) thought it was demeaning to women who wear it.
