Excerpt:
Muslim women have rallied in their hundreds against moves to ban the burka in Australia, condemning it as part of the West's "war on Islam".
Women swathed in veils and wielding placards declaring "my burka - conviction not coercion" and "leave my mum alone - we love nikab" gathered yesterday in a park in Punchbowl, southwestern Sydney.
The first public protest against calls to ban the veil, the rally was co-ordinated by a coalition of Muslim groups known for their often hardline views.