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Added: Sunday, 28 June, 2009, 10:03 GMT 11:03 UK

I feel that the burka is a threatening garment. When I see women dressed in this garment, dressed in black it is intimidating to people around them. You cannot communicate through facial expression which is so important in british culture. I had a family member that immigrated her from another country in the 50's they took on the british traditions, ways and rules, so that they would 'fit in' and WANTED to intigrate with the british. They wanted to be seen as a united, not different society.

sue, Portsmouth, UK, England,

Added: Saturday, 27 June, 2009, 21:10 GMT 22:10 UK

Jack Straw objected to women wearing burkas when they visited his surgeries. This is most probably because Mr. Straw suffers from a hearing loss in his right ear and it is impossible to lip read someone in a burka. When it comes to respect for minorities, the deaf and hard of hearing receive very little of it.

Mike, London, UK, England,

Added: Saturday, 27 June, 2009, 13:09 GMT 14:09 UK

I think the Burka discussion missed the point. The problem with the Burka (and also the veil showing only the eyes) is that you can't see a persons face. There are two extremes on the clothing scale: completely naked, which is not allowed in public (and rightly so), the other is completely covered which I don't think should be allowed either. It makes me angry when someone will not show me their face in a public space, I actullay perseive it as rude and a sad lack of trust in your fellow man.

Johanna Lundstrom, London, UK, England,

Added: Saturday, 27 June, 2009, 11:28 GMT 12:28 UK

I cannot understand the sudden increase in the number of muslim women wanting to wear the Burka since the 9/11 and 7/7 bombings. Are they trying to test our resolve or are they just showing contempt for our cultural background. I have noticed that women BBC journalists in muslim countries have to wear headscarves and long sleeved blouses or dresses to comply with the muslim culture; therefore I cannot understand why the muslim women cannot comply with our culture and not wear the Burka.

Alsiter, Swindon, UK, England,

Added: Friday, 26 June, 2009, 23:48 GMT 00:48 UK

Mais oui !!! Vive le President Sarkozy.!!!!

[Anglobert], Surrey, United Kingdom

Added: Friday, 26 June, 2009, 22:38 GMT 23:38 UK

It is free country and the choice to wear a burka is made by the individual, until such time as when they are attending school or their place of work. During attendance of these places then the dress code of those schools and organisations should be accepted and ahered to. As an example if a school uniform or company dress code does not allow it then the rule must be accepted. If you wish to attend a sikh school you would have to abide by their dress code and religous beliefs

John Ley, Ashford, UK, England,

Added: Friday, 26 June, 2009, 22:16 GMT 23:16 UK

I have a friend who is very deaf and works in a shop. He does his best to hear and lip read at the same time. A woman wearing a Burka will cause him great pain by standing gabbling at him while he is unable to see her lips move or hear completely what she is saying. The Burka is not required by the Quran and is a poke in the eye at us infidels in Gt Britain. They are having a joke at our expense.

jane Saxton, Portsmouth, UK, England,

Added: Friday, 26 June, 2009, 15:15 GMT 16:15 UK

Little girls in school so swathed in garments that they cannot safely take part in P.E. and not able to go swimming! Moslem women, born here and happy to wear Shalwar/Kameez like their mothers are now adopting the Burkha! I believe it is not for religious reasons but to push us to the limits of tolerance. IE. In the cases of the school girl and teaching assistant who went to tribunals. Unless our politicians take a firm stand we risk having the Burkha as an accepted 'uniform'

Lesley Worstencroft, London, UK, England,

Added: Friday, 26 June, 2009, 12:25 GMT 13:25 UK

The Burka is certainly demeaning, and a symbol of the subjugation of women, even denying them a proper identity. However, so is the modern day fashion industry. Girls from a very young age are enslaved to the idea that their worth and success lies in their degree of "attractiveness". Anorexia is only one of the most obvious results. Kelvin Mckenzie's Sun literally reduces women to being sex objects. And "volition" is as weak an argument here as with the Burka. Let people choose what they wear.

A. Soman, Cambridge, UK, England,

Added: Friday, 26 June, 2009, 12:09 GMT 13:09 UK

I found Jim Knight's contribution curious. He admitted proudly that he had worn special clothing to enter a UK-based Sikh school. In other words, he had CONFORMED to the values of a community, even though they were a community within Britain. Yet he was dead set against those from a different community CONFORMING to British clothing norms in the street. How strange?

John, Horncastle, UK, England,

Added: Friday, 26 June, 2009, 11:59 GMT 12:59 UK

The quicker GREAT Britain becomes 'British' again the better.

James, London, UK, England,

Added: Friday, 26 June, 2009, 11:41 GMT 12:41 UK

It is not a religious requirement to wear a burka, it is a cultural choice. Moving to a different country is also a cultural choice, where, it seems to me, it is perfecrtly reasonable of the indigenous population to expect you to make some effort to integrate yourself into the established culture. This applies to British people moving to another country where another language is spoken. If you reject the culture of the country you move to, why should you be accepted in return?

Sheumais, Glasgow, UK, Scotland,

Added: Friday, 26 June, 2009, 11:41 GMT 12:41 UK

If people move to Britain to escape oppression then why would they try to keep their way of life the same as it was when they were oppressed?

Andy, Rugeley, UK, England,

Added: Friday, 26 June, 2009, 08:47 GMT 09:47 UK

There are two parts in the Quran/Hadith. One: the women in the Prophets family were told at a late date to wear the burka for ANONYMITY because they were being threatened by the pagan arabs. Two: men should avert their gaze(not oggle or mentally undress) and all muslims should dress and behave MODESTY which for women means like a nun [notice the order]. This confuses most muslims! Some men 'play safe' by getting women to wear the burka which is unfair because they cannot interact properly.

Ilyas, Birmingham, UK, England,

Added: Friday, 26 June, 2009, 08:41 GMT 09:41 UK

I'm not interested in the opinions of a Plaid Cymru AM. If she wants Burkhas worn in Wales, fine. Will the person in the BBC who booked her for a venue in Newquay, Cornwall, now stand up and admit they thought they were booking her for a show in New Quay, west Wales.

Bernard, Redruth, UK, England,