STRAW BRANDED A 'CHRISTIAN FASCIST'

Protected by tight security for his visit to a community centre, Mr Straw, who wants Muslim women to remove the veil in face-to-face contacts, refused to speak to the 70 demonstrators. They included a number of women wearing veils.

Police had earlier banned a planned demonstration by 8,000 Muslims on safety grounds.

The crowd included Tasaddiq Rehman, from the Blackburn Muslim Council, who said: "Jack Straw didn't really start a debate. He declared war against the Muslim community and then he wants a debate.

"This talk about the veil is another affront to the Muslim community. Jack Straw is a Christian fascist.

"He has actually segregated the community in the name of trying to call for Muslims to integrate."

A group of women wearing niqab veils chanted: "The veil is our choice and our liberation. The veil is our freedom."

Nursery teacher Asma Patel, 20, said: "I wouldn't take my veil off if he asked me to. I have been wearing it for seven years. Why should I take it off now?"

Saira Khan, a loser on Sir Alan Sugar's TV show The Apprentice, sparked anger by asking the crowd why Muslim women bothered to wear veils.

Mayor of London Ken Livingstone waded into the row yesterday, saying he would like to see an end to the veil, but that change would have to come from within the Muslim community.