LONDON — Britain's House of Commons leader and former foreign secretary Jack Straw did not expect his recent anti-niqab remarks to trigger an outcry of such national and international dimensions.
"What I did not anticipate was the scale of the reaction," Straw told IslamOnline.net during a recent meeting with a group of international reporters in his office.
This is a column I write in my local paper once a week. I thought it would cause some interest locally and regionally but did not think it would cause quite a fuss in Egypt," he asserted.
Straw has requested a meeting with a delegation of British Muslim women from his Blackburn constituency to discuss the issue.
He asserted that as a politician one can not do every thing by calculations.
"Otherwise, you will not say anything of any interest."
Asked whether his remarks had affected his popularity among British Muslims, particularly in Blackburn, Straw said: "I do not know because we have not run elections. So we will see."
Councilor Mohammed Khan, Deputy Leader of the Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council, does not expect the niqab remarks to affect Straw's reelection chances.
A British Muslim community activist believes that as long as Straw continues to enjoy the support of Adam Hafejee Patel, who was in 2000 created a life peer as Baron Patel of Blackburn, he has nothing to worry about.
"Baron Patel enjoys an undeniable clout among the main Muslim extended families in Blackburn and they 'obey' him when it comes to voting for a certain candidate," he told IOL, on condition of anonymity.
Indian-born Patel is a former President of Lancashire Council of Mosques, Vice-President of the Blackburn Community Relations Council, Counselor to the Muslim Council of Britain and chairman of the British Hajj Commission.
can you believe this? as if! i think he knew full well what he was doin!!!! SCORING CHEAP POLITICAL POINTS AT OUR EXPENSE!!!!!
"What I did not anticipate was the scale of the reaction," Straw told IslamOnline.net during a recent meeting with a group of international reporters in his office.
This is a column I write in my local paper once a week. I thought it would cause some interest locally and regionally but did not think it would cause quite a fuss in Egypt," he asserted.
Straw has requested a meeting with a delegation of British Muslim women from his Blackburn constituency to discuss the issue.
He asserted that as a politician one can not do every thing by calculations.
"Otherwise, you will not say anything of any interest."
Asked whether his remarks had affected his popularity among British Muslims, particularly in Blackburn, Straw said: "I do not know because we have not run elections. So we will see."
Councilor Mohammed Khan, Deputy Leader of the Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council, does not expect the niqab remarks to affect Straw's reelection chances.
A British Muslim community activist believes that as long as Straw continues to enjoy the support of Adam Hafejee Patel, who was in 2000 created a life peer as Baron Patel of Blackburn, he has nothing to worry about.
"Baron Patel enjoys an undeniable clout among the main Muslim extended families in Blackburn and they 'obey' him when it comes to voting for a certain candidate," he told IOL, on condition of anonymity.
Indian-born Patel is a former President of Lancashire Council of Mosques, Vice-President of the Blackburn Community Relations Council, Counselor to the Muslim Council of Britain and chairman of the British Hajj Commission.
can you believe this? as if! i think he knew full well what he was doin!!!! SCORING CHEAP POLITICAL POINTS AT OUR EXPENSE!!!!!
