Specifically, in regards the so-called "veil" it personally makes me shudder. I find it sinister. But that's coming from an honest personal perspective as a woman.

I was in Manchester recently, and saw a fabulous modern image of Emeline Pankhurst composed of hundreds of tiny photographs of all kinds of women, it actually brought tears to my eyes it was so affecting.

All I can say is that as much as modern Muslim woman may maintain that it 'liberates' them from men's visual ravishment, as a Western woman, the "veil" deeply troubles me on a raw instinctive level.

I find it runs contrary to everything I am proud of and personally value about the labour, work and sacrifices made by prior generations of women, which make life so much less oppressive and difficult for me here today.