UK: Boris Johnson slammed over Islamophobic comments

New calls for Islamophobia inquiry in Johnson's party after he says women wearing face veils resemble 'letter boxes'.

 

Johnson resigned last month as foreign secretary [File: Simon Dawson/Reuters]

 

Boris Johnson, the former British foreign secretary, has come under fire after Islamophobic comments targeting Muslim women wearing face veils. 

 

In an opinion piece published in Monday's Daily Telegraph, the Tory politician and leading figure in a campaign for Britain to leave the European Union said that Muslim women wearing the veils look like "letter boxes" and compared them to "bank robbers".

 

His comments prompted Muslim groups in the UK to renew calls for an inquiry into Islamophobia in the Conservative Party. 

 

Full story: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/europe/2018/08/uk-boris-johnson-slammed-islamophobic-comments-180806165126027.html

 

-- AL JAZEERA 2018-2018-08-08

Bore His Johnson can't tell a woman from a letter box.

 

 

18 minutes ago, webfact said:

Boris Johnson slammed over Islamophobic comments

Let's not beat around the bush with Islamophobia or racism. Call a spade a spade.

 

I like Boris, he's such a buffoon but this time he's cracked a classic...

He's spot on though and he has refused to apologize, for once sticking to his believes and not pandering to others believes...

 

look more like armour plated hijabs... taking over the country 

he should be apologising to Royal Mail

Buffoon’s more bigoted side being revealed. 

If jeremy corbyn and his muppets of the labour party can spew out anti semitic slurs, why not Boris johnson making comments about the black ghosts?...

14 minutes ago, ezzra said:

If jeremy corbyn and his muppets of the labour party can spew out anti semitic slurs, why not Boris johnson making comments about the black ghosts?...

Is this anti-Semitic sluring:

Anti Jews

Anti Israel

Anti Zionists?

I'm in the dark here.

 

They do look like letter boxes or bank robbers. It also looks like oppression and misogyny, but the progressives are happy to overlook it.

Not sure they get many bank robbers in Coutts probably just quoting some old Etonian pig fest fable.?

35 minutes ago, ezzra said:

If jeremy corbyn and his muppets of the labour party can spew out anti semitic slurs, why not Boris johnson making comments about the black ghosts?...

Because that makes you a hypocrite?

Another clear example of Johnson's innate racism. I will await the mass outrage of the press and the gammons as they condemn in the harshest possible terms his disgusting behaviour. I also fully expect every aspect of his public and private life past to be dredged up in a series of exposes over the next 6 months as the carefully planned narrative develops, although I would prefer that he is pilloried with objective examples - we have seen too clearly how the press manipulates things out of context or simply lies to fulfil their editorial objectives. 

The PC brigade, aka politicians, will give up our culture and heritage for fear of offending those not wishing to assimilate to their chosen country of residence....

It's embarrassing...!!

Another calculated and staged move by Boris J - he has his eye on ousting May and copying the "Trump appeal" by playing non-muslim voters for the next election.

 

I think if he became head of Tory Party or PM it would be a sad day for centrists like myself.

Vote Boris....

Well I have to agree with Boris they do look stupid. They are impractical and if people walked round with bank robbers masks on they would be ridiculed. He is saying what so many people think.

As I have previously mentioned I lived in Saudi Arabia. When asking Saudi men why their women wear black Burkas the response was they need protecting. From who? Why black then as it intensifies heat. 

I am sure some will play the racism card But Boris is spot on

29 minutes ago, MRToMRT said:

Another calculated and staged move by Boris J - he has his eye on ousting May and copying the "Trump appeal" by playing non-muslim voters for the next election.

 

I think if he became head of Tory Party or PM it would be a sad day for centrists like myself.

Sadly a very likely scenario, he even looks like a poorer version of Trump.

 

5 minutes ago, Laughing Gravy said:

When asking Saudi men why their women wear black Burkas the response was they need protecting.

This is 100% correct based on my experience of Saudi too; it springs from the same Saudi traditions that tell women they must get written permission from the senior male in the their family if they want to travel.

 

This is a mediaevel patriarchical desert tribe custom, it has nothing to do with religion.

 

In neigbouring Kuwait, very few women wear veils or the black stuff, only the Bedouin, for whom it may have been an effective defense against sand, back in the days when the Bedouin were camel drovers rather than 4*4 drivers.

17 minutes ago, Laughing Gravy said:

 He is saying what so many people think.

 

No, He is saying what racist bigoted people think.

6 minutes ago, Phuket Man said:

No, He is saying what racist bigoted people think.

The first Racised Bigotted card. congratulations. I think old men who wear leather jackets with Hells Angeles  slogans and sleeveless t shirts are ridiculous. I am a racist or Bigot for that.You have fallen into the liberal lefty spin. If people criticise those who wear Burkas then  call them racists and bigots. I still didn’t realise people wearing Burkas are a race?  If when in Places like Saudi Arabia you get the religious police asking you to cover up your legs as your in shorts. Are they racist? Of course not.

I think such remarks are OK for comedians but politicians should zip it. As far as the controversy about total cover of women, that's a legitimate political issue about whether to ban them in public or at least in certain public settings. The total cover is not mandated by Islam. It's a cultural thing. The idea is that men might get too excited seeing any flesh and not be able to control themselves. Maybe cover the men's eyes? 

Personally I think they look more like Penguins than Letter Box's   

Oh how I agree with Bojo on this.  The face veils are a disgusting piece of clothing -  if you can call it clothing!!!!

If only the UK would follow Denmarks lead and and ban it.

42 minutes ago, Phuket Man said:

No, He is saying what racist bigoted people think.

1 hour ago, canuckamuck said:

They do look like letter boxes or bank robbers. It also looks like oppression and misogyny, but the progressives are happy to overlook it.

Interesting, how the right wing comes to the defense of women!

...Muslim women, that is!

Otherwise they really don't give two hot $41ts about women's rights.

Abortion should be handled by "god", lower wages for women of similar qualifications in similar jobs is fine and rape victims mostly ask for it!

But if a Muslim woman is wearing a hijab, it's the right wing to the rescue!

2 hours ago, ezzra said:

If jeremy corbyn and his muppets of the labour party can spew out anti semitic slurs, why not Boris johnson making comments about the black ghosts?...

Because both are wrong, and democratic political discourse suffers as a result?

I am a liberal and no fan of Boris, but mostly agree with him on this.  Inability to identify wearer is a valid concern for public safety. If I wear a clown mask into a bank, I'd be told to take it off. Could I claim "my religion of clownism requires me to wear this at all times" and then be let in? Doubt it.

  Islam is not a race, so comment cannot be racist. A phobia is an unrealistic fear of something. "Islamophobia" is an overused term that is not anchored in reality. Islamic radical fundamentalists who think they'll get to heaven if blow selves up killing kafirs are worthy of concern and watching (a small but significant percentage).  Personally, I'm more concerned with white Nazi racists in my home country of USA. Does this make me racist against my own race?

Boris is correct, face veils should be illegal in public, simple as that !