Officials Should Have Power to Ban Veils, Church of England Bishop Says
Officials should have the power to ban veils that cover the face in public, a Church of England bishop said in comments published Sunday.
by Kevin Donovan

Officials should have the power to ban veils that cover the face in public, a Church of England bishop said in comments published Sunday.

The Pakistani-born bishop of Rochester, Michael Nazir-Ali, urged Muslims not to wear the veil under some circumstances, continuing the debate in Britain over the traditional garment for Muslim women.

"It is fine if they want to wear the veil in private," he was quoted as saying by the Sunday Telegraph newspaper. "But there are occasions in public life when it is inappropriate for them to wear it."

Nazir-Ali said authorities should have the power to ban the veil in some situations, following reports that a man suspected of shooting a police officer may have escaped Britain recently dressed as a Muslim woman. the rest