Is the wearing of the veil hamper community relations?

The most conservative veils (which this debate is centered on), those that conceal all but the eyes, are not prescribed by the Koran and are rejected by many Muslims. They represent distinct cultural trends within Islam, not a symbol of the faith as a whole.

The central argument, which I will put forward, is that the wearing of the hijab (the veil) forms both a barrier to community integration and female emancipation and thus prevents the individual from making a significant contribution to British society. The all-concealing veil is a barrier to human interaction. It precludes the face-to-face contact that is essential in the development of trusting communication between individuals. More than other markers of religious identity - the turban, the skullcap or the headscarf, for example - it signals a will not to integrate.

It makes integration different as the full veil prevents having a proper face-to-face conversation with the wearer and thus limits understanding of what is meant rather than what is just being said. The veil forms a barrier that limits the creation of relationships. It unites those who nestle behind such garments and makes it harder for them to integrate with the bulk of the population.

As a result the veil worn by some Muslim women in Britain is a "mark of separation", which makes people of other ethnic backgrounds feel uncomfortable, this puts enormous strain on community relations and inter-faith integration, which in regards to Muslims generally has been slipping over the last couple of years.

The use of the veil highlights the cultural and religious differences between ethnic groups; it shows unwillingness to assimilate oneself to the community of which they belong. Consequently, the desire to be seen as different, which is exactly what the veil does (some can perhaps equate the wearing of the veil to chav wearing a baseball cup; both come from a socio-economic group that invariably underachieves and both which to demarcate themselves from society) hinders not the women from gainful employment, (a study, published in the Daily Telegraph last week, revealed that Muslim women who wear the hijab find it difficult getting passed the interview stage).

Ultimately, the wearing the veil is a personal choice, but it completely hides the individuals identity, and is far more effective at doing this than a hood, cap, dark glasses or even turban as some have tried to liken it to. The choice to wear it is a choice to segregate oneself from the larger surrounding society and effectively reject it.