Iqbal Sacranie of the Muslim Council of Britain, said: 'It shows a lack of interest on the part of the MP to engage with people with different backgrounds and sadly it reflects badly on him.'

'If he had a little bit of knowledge, he would have found it was quite normal and nothing unusual for them to enjoy the celebration in this way.'

Fitzpatrick said segregation in the East End of London was a relatively recent trend and blamed 'the stranglehold influence' of orthodox Muslims.

'We've been attending Muslim weddings together for years but only recently has this strict line been taken,' the minister said.

Three years ago, former British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw caused a row by advising Muslim women calling into his constituency office to consider removing their veils so that he could have 'face to face' conversations with them.

Straw, whose northern England constituency of Blackburn includes a large number of Pakistanis, described the veil as a 'visible statement of separation and difference.'