The Veil Debate

This has been going on for a while now and as a journalism student I have been reading a lot about this from all sort of different angles.
Especially the Australian muslim cleric that said women who didn't wear the hijab head-dress were like "uncovered meat" for sexual attackers. He has apologised for his comments and said they were not meant to be perceived as they were due to the fact they were taken out of context but still...
Anyway, I think this whole debate has been blown way out of proportion, it is not just about the Veil anymore. It has broadened to include religion, work, why it is worn? what do other religions think? etc and I don't think the comments Jack Straw made were unreasonable. From what I have understood he only asked them to remove their veils when they came into his office and they din't have to and another woman was present, hardly a scene for polictical/religious scandal? He was right to bring the debate into the arena...maybe the way he did that was not quite right, he probably should have spoken to muslim leaders about the issue but what is done is done. I watched a debate on question time (bbc one) a week ago and they dedicated about 30 minutes to this issue. The general consensus seems to be that Muslim women want to wear it but other people think it "seperates them from the community" and compare it to the hoodie as it hides their face. I don't agree with that as it is a religious item of clothing and I don't mind them wearing it at all. However, I don't come into contact with too many veiled women and I do think that it would stop them being an integrated part of society in some instances as if you cover your face it seems like you have something to hide. I have absolutely no problem with the veil being worn and think in this diverse society we live in that it should be accepted, if a muslim wants to wear it they should be able to without prejudice. Having said that....the case of the muslim school teahcer wearing a veil, I agree that she should not be wearing it while teaching children and on a wider scale I think that it should not be worn for work if their work is not to do with their religion. In a working environment were customer interaction is vital and uniforms often a necessity I wouldn't feel comfortable with someone wearing a veil trying to sell me something and if the veil is allowed in work places it seems to be another case of bending over backwards to try and please everyone when that is simply, just not possible.