In her early days as a councillor she fought for women's rights and took part in launching a policy on domestic violence.

But she's prepared to make concessions to Muslim sensitivities and arrives at the event with her hair covered.
Only to find that the evening's star guests - several orthodox clerics - refuse to have their picture taken with her because she's a woman.

I attended this event and despite my efforts to get a comment from her on this incident, the mayor kept her silence until she left office.

Then she held it up as an example of how we are no closer to achieving women's rights as we were when she became a councillor in 1992.
"The question," she says, "is when are things going to change?"

It's a good question.
Here's another one, which I would guess occurred to the event's Muslim organisers: "When are our efforts to promote tolerance going to succeed, instead of being hijacked by the same old anti-Islam agenda in the media?"

To those Muslims - those who have not yet thrown down this article in exasperation at seeing the subject brought up again - I would say that this story was worth telling, because the row was an example of a deeper clash in our culture, and in the minds of those who see themselves as liberals: We want women's rights. We want Muslims to have the right to practise their faith.
But when those rights are incompatible, you either become one of those waffling, hand-wringing, wriggling wimps who wants to have it both ways, or you chose sides.

I'm with Jean Calvert on this one.
I was brought up to see men and women as equals. Not only that, but all the evidence of my own experience has shown me that they are equals. I don't believe, as the Qur'an has it, that "Allah has made the one superior to the other" (Sura 4:34).

I find much to respect in Islam.
But when I learn that, in the words of Waseem Riaz of the Heckmondwike Jamia Mosque, "some orthodox Muslims would not even have photographs taken with their own wives," respect is not what I feel.

Waseem also said it would have been the same if a male mayor had met a group of female orthodox Muslims.
To which my response would be: Yes, and that's wrong too.

Much has been done over the last few decades to break down barriers between the sexes. But the advances in gender equality have been meagre indeed if they become suspended the moment an orthodox Muslim enters the room.

Community cohesion is not just politically correct waffle.
We can't afford not to promote harmony in a multi-cultural society. And people like Waseem Riaz are fighting a good fight in difficult circumstances.

But we're kidding ourselves if we think our different cultures are never going to rub each other the wrong way.

We can make concessions to each other out of politeness and respect.
But when we find our most cherished principles challenged by beliefs we find repugnant, sometimes the most honourable response is to do what Jean Calvert did, and walk out in protest.