A U.K. Independence Party ( UKIP ) leadership candidate is calling for the Muslim veil to be banned in public buildings, shopping centers and on buses and trains.
Lisa Duffy will stop short of a complete ban on the veil but is demanding a "show your face in public" policy.
In a speech in London, Duffy will say: "On our public transport networks, in public buildings, banks, stores and shopping precincts—all those places where teenagers are told to take their hoodies down and where motorcyclists are expected to remove their helmets—it is only reasonable to expect everyone to show their faces.
"It is about making sure there is one law for all, rather than making an exception for a community because we are frightened of causing offense. There is no offense to be taken if all are treated equally."
Duffy will also demand the closure of Islamic faith schools until Islamist extremism is eradicated, as well as a "complete and comprehensive ban" on sharia courts in Britain, according to The Guardian.
She said her proposals are designed to foster integration: "Muslims who were born in this country... are as British as I am and I simply want them to feel as British as I do."
Duffy is backed by high-profile former UKIP spokeswoman Suzanne Evans. She will say she wants to "set out a path of opportunity" for young Muslim women who were told by men what they should wear, what leisure activities they should pursue and even who they should marry.
"Why should I, as a white, Christian woman, effectively enjoy greater civil and human rights and freedoms than others?" the Huntingdonshire district councillor will ask. "My ambition is that everyone, from every community, should be able to enjoy the same rights and have the same independent control over their lives and their bodies as I do."
She will describe the veil as "a symbol of aggressive separatism that can only foster extremism" and will claim that it is often "forced on women by men who view them as their property."
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
To read how Newsweek uses AI as a newsroom tool, Click here.
