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Salma: "Some groups say you do have to wear it, some say you don't."

Umm-Talha: "I did it fopr the sake of Allah, My Lord. There are a lot of misconceptions about the Koran. A lot of people leave and take what they want from the Koran. But chapter 33 verse 59 says 'O Prophet tell your wives and daughters to draw the veil all over the bodies.' This obviously includes the face which for me is the point of attraction. I feel safer wearing the veil."

Alison from Glasgow is uncomfortable with veils and said: "It's a degree of communication. You will have a greater degree of openness if you show your face in society."

Salma: "I work full time 9 to 5, 5 days a week and I have no problem communicating with my colleagues."

Alison replied: "It would make me feel uncomfortable. Do you not think it's time the muslims tried to understand how we the non-muslims understand it?"

Salma:" I can totally understand where she's coming from. The impetus is on you to make the first move. Don't always ask the other person to say hello to you. It's unbelievable how quickly you can strike up a conversation."

Joyce said she'd never spoken to a woman wearing a full veil: "It's not just verbal it's to do with body language. You need to see the whole face to know how to respond to a person. In the case of schoolchildren how do they know when teacher is pleased or displeased? I've no problem with anyone's religion. I do feel if you are going to live and work in someone else's country you have to respect that country's culture."

Salma: "Just cos I'm wearing a veil you cannot accuse me of not integrating."

Umm-Talha : "When Alison and Joyce speak of compromising Islam how far does that compromise go. The hijab is not just a religious statement it's a basic human right let alone a religiuous right. It's not something that has been adopted recently - it's been in Islam from day one."

Liam: "In a way it doesn't affectme in the same way when I see someone wearing a hoodie or a crash helmet but I do accept it can get in the way of face-to-face communication. No body's forcing them to wear mini-skirts and crop tops. But you should ensure people around you don't feel threatened in any way."

Umm-Talha: "When I'm on the tube they know I'm smiling 'cos my eyes are squinting. Unfortunately the media hypes things."

A robust first half to the show. Standby for part II when we'll be discussing the latest international adoptathon that is Madonna. Latest reports as we go on air are saying that the child, David Banda, has been flown to .

Incidentally, if you think Madonna and her family aren't big news then take a peek at this little advisory which was flashed to all the news agencies in the UK a few minutes ago: "Re still of David Banda - Madonna's 'baby'. The agency which owns the rights to the still wants £10,000 per 24 hour use." . . . No, you read that right. £10K per day.

It's the second half of the show and the veil debate is drawing in so many callers and comments that we're sticking with it for now.

Chris : "I believe everyone has the right to wear what they want. It is about time we banned the veil outright!"

Umm-Talha: "That's totally absurd."

Chris: " We need to follow the example of the Tunisians and the French? We need to ban all forms of religious icons. It would be a society devoid of division. We are marching towards an Islamic state."

Umm-Talha: "I don't think the UK is anywhere near an Islamic state soon. I would like to live in an Islamic state yes, but I don't see it happening."

Kate: "There is a grey area for me. It presses my feminist buttons. Part of me feels women have enough difficulties in the world and they should be allowed to wear what they like but on the other hand is it more to do with God or is it more to do with men? Why is it upon women to hide themselves from men?"

Umm-Talha: "Islam does prohibit men from dressing in a provocative manner. Men are commanded to dress modestly and are commanded to lower their gaze in the presence of a member of the opposite sex. From a feminist POV I believe that the women who wear it wear it out of choice. My husband does not force me to wear the veil. It's something he and I talked about beforehand - he's happy for me to wear it. Woman are seen as something so precious and honoured that they themselves want to be protected."

Kate: "Our Christian society says exactly the same. When the man is also wearing modest clothes - it makes the whole thing a lot more approachable. I feel the same kind of discomfort when I see formal Jewish clothing. you can't bridge the gap."

Uri, an Israeli in Berlin, said: "I'm frankly astonished that people would ban the veil in the name of maintinaing social harmony."

Anthony in Southend, UK, had a question for both Umm-Talha and Salma: "Would you support a ban on the veil in the workplace?"

Umm-Talha: "It depends on the type of place. I don't see the necessity of wearing the veil in the classroom but out of the classroom would be ok. But one should be aware of the school's policy. Mohammad's first wife was a business women she did business with Jews and idol-worshippers."

Anthony asked: "What about if I wore a balaclava, would you feel comfortable?"

Umm-Talha: "Veils are not the same as balaclavas I can assure you."

Anthony: "But we just see the eyes so we cannot relate to you?"

Umm-Talha said : "Why don't you just approach a woman in a veil next time and ask her how she feels about muslims being bombed in Iraq? We're open to discussion."

We've 10 minutes left and finally we're going to the Madonna debate . . .

Matthew: "Should we wait for rules and regulations while the child is suffering? It's the best solution."

British poet Lemn Sissay: "Having parents of a different race was never not an issue. Being the only black child in a white area I suffered horrendous amounts of racial abuse. I came to understand what can happen when children go through the same experience. To go to another country and take a child from a native land and take him into an alien environment is an act of aggression. Love alone is not enough - love and understanding is what is needed. This says more about the parent than it does about the child."

Susan was adamant Madonna would have the child's best interests at heart: "The child is going to be given the advantages a celebrity can give."

Lemn: "What advantages. Is family wealth? Is this the most important thing."

Susan: "Money does buy privilege in our society --

". . . In your society," responded Lemn.

Susan continued: " . . .I believe that it also draws attention to the plight of the millions who are under-privileged."

Final word of the night went to Nasrin in the UK who said: "Somebody like Madonna is selfish. She's obviously going to spend millions and millions on this boy. She could have spent this on the boy's village so the boy grows up in his own culture."