The phrase "straw poll" has acquired some nuance in Britain this month. It used to mean asking people what they think about an issue -- any issue. Suddenly it seems to mean asking people what they think about Straw -- Jack Straw, that is, the former British foreign secretary -- and in particular his opinion of Muslim veils. At about the same time as a young Muslim teaching assistant was suspended recently for refusing to remove her full-face veil in the presence of male colleagues, Mr. Straw said he found them objectionable and divisive.
Polls and letters to the editor suggest that a majority of Britons agree with him. Even Prime Minister Tony Blair has weighed in with a delicately worded expression of support for Mr. Straw. The anger revealed by this whole flap over a veil is something that European Muslims should not take lightly.
What is really in dispute here? Not, as one might assume, the right of British Muslim women to wear whatever they want in most situations. Which they do. Many wear the same things as everyone else. Some opt for the head scarf, or hijab, banned in French and German schools but such a common sight in Britain that no one blinks at it.