Again it has been suggested that the veil is a hindrance to communication. For some people, sunglasses are a hindrance to communication - that's one of the reasons why they are so popular with Spooks (the idea is that if you can't see the eyes, it's much harder to guess the emotions and feelings). There's a lot more to communication than simply watching someone's lips move (unless, fair enough, you are a lip reader - someone already mentioned that in relation to a TV interview, subtitles would probably do fine in that case). Indeed, the next time you are talking to someone try to focus just on their lips alone - and just watch as surreality creeps in. The nose has only a marginal role to play in communication as far as I know. On the whole, I'd prefer to see someone's eyes if I had to choose, which the veil allows. A smile can be seen in the eyes as much as on the mouth. And is anyone asking Muslim womemn what they'd like to do? It seems, as I've suggested before, that what THEY want for themselves is the last item on the agenda. Let 'em wear veils and crosses and skullcaps, and show ourselves to be the tolerant society we claim to be! If we are not allowed to show our beliefs in public, the next thing we won't be allowed express our beliefs verbally in 'case they offend someone'. We will be allowed to express them at home in private, of course, talking to ourselves like nutters. Meanwhile the material, secular world will be free to publicly express its opinions and beliefs as it likes.

BTW: Guest said ") better throw out the phone / computer, then;

No there are different types of communication..."

Yes, indeed, and one of them might be talking to someoen who is wearing a veil if they want to. Sometimes I have to talk to someone who is wearing a FCUK T-shirt, which I find offensive (whatever the name of the company, it clearly chosen for its resemblance to the word f**K, and I hate bad language). Should I ask them to remove it or cover it up?