By IANS,
London : A controversial British MP who has been involved in rows over Muslim issues is set to become Britain’s immigration minister, according to reports Sunday.
Prime Minister Gordon Brown is expected to complete his cabinet reshuffle Sunday, and Phil Woolas, who has previously spoken out against the Muslim practice of cousin marriage, has been selected for the high-profile immigration job, the domestic news agency Press Association reported.
It said Woolas created a controversy when he said that Muslim women wearing the veil could spark “fear and resentment” among non-Muslims.
He also spoke out against cousin marriage – which is common among South Asian Muslims – on the grounds that it was leading to high numbers of birth defects.
However, Woolas is also Britain’s most vocal critic of the racist British National Party.