Oh Dear. Another week, another labour politician getting into a bit of bother about Islam. And, of course, a few attention-seeking shouty hotheads calling for his resignation. I do understand his point of view though: It is difficult communicating with people when you can't see their faces - try talking in a foreign language on the phone. When it comes to hijab, obviously there has to be a personal choice involved, although my personal opinion is that stuff like the chador and burka is utterly absurd. Also this seeming fear of a woman presenting their face to a man who is not a relative or husband - this strikes me as saying far more about a father's, brother's or husband's fears, weaknesses and sense of low self-esteem than anything; The need to utterly control another's life because you can't control aspects of your own. This is peculiar, as Islam means 'submission' (to the Will of Allah). In other words, trust in the Creator because you can't stay in charge of your own destiny all the time. If you are willing to submit in such a way, why then should anyone feel that they have the right to take absolute control of another's life?