'Echoes demonology of Nazi Germany.' Livingstone Photo: Sky News
London mayor: Veil debate redolent of Nazism
Livingstone tells press conference suggestion that Muslims cause of racial divide in Britain ‘echoes very much the demonology of Nazi Germany when Hitler said it was the Jews' fault and the problems were brought upon themselves’
London Mayor Ken Livingstone said Tuesday that the public debate over whether or not Muslim women should be allowed to wear veils is redolent of Nazi Germany.
Livingstone told a press conference at the launch of the first ever report into Muslims living in London that the suggestion that Muslims are the cause of the racial divide in Britain “echoes very much the demonology of Nazi Germany when Hitler said it was the Jews' fault and the problems were brought upon themselves.”
Controversy
Straw sparks row over Muslim veil comments / AFP
Muslim community leaders angered by former British foreign secretary's remarks that he asks Muslim women to remove veils from their faces when they visit his constituency office to seek his help
“There is a faint echo of that in a lot of the rubbish we have been seeing in the media recently,” he said.
The UK veil debate was raised after former Foreign Secretary Jack Straw revealed that he asks Muslim women to remove veils from their faces when they visit his constituency office to seek his help and suggested that the veils be removed permanently. Prime Minister Tony Blair said the veil was a sign of ‘division.’
Livingstone slammed Straw for his comments, saying, "If you are a powerful man and a person comes to see you for help, I think the majority of people would not be able to refuse (a request to remove their veil). As for not being able to see their face, so much of politics is conducted on the telephone."
The mayor said he had ‘never asked a Jew to remove his kippa, a Sikh to remove his turban or a Christian to remove his cross.’
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