Galloway et al surpass themselves

Respect have really surpassed themselves with their ranting reaction to Jack Straw's remarks about asking (not demanding) Muslim women who meet him at his advice surgery if they would mind removing their veils.

Respect's reaction (http://www.respectcoalition.org/?ite=1190) seems calculated to try to whip up tension between communities.

It would have been possible for them to make a reasoned case that Straw (a man who has a very long-standing and close relationship with the Muslim community in his constituency) was wrong. Instead George Galloway has said that "It is a male politician telling women to wear less. When put like that, there's no one who would be considered part of the civilised political spectrum who would have anything but contempt for Straw."

I would suggest that on the contrary "there's no one who would be considered part of the civilised political spectrum who would have anything but contempt for" Galloway and Respect trying to turn a reasonable contribution to a debate about the way in which people from different cultures interact into ammunition for their despicable efforts to introduce communalism and voting along faith lines into British politics.

It's been said before, but the cynicism and hypocrisy of Leninists from the SWP attempting to mobilise the votes of religious conservatives - and junking or keeping quiet about every commitment they have ever had to feminism or other forms of personal liberation politics - for short term political advantage is breathtaking.