Boris Johnson's Latest 'Gaff'

When we visit Muslim countries, we have to dress to suit their views so why don't they dress to suit ours? It is very one sided and we are far too tolerant in UK. You should be able to see someone's face in all situations but mainly for security!!

If its going to a money pit tribunal how long will it take them to decide that the eye opening on a burka is indeed letter box shaped and about in the same position as the slit on a red post box and that both are similar shapes.

Well said, Babyboomer 52. Boris Johnson has said so many things which many find offensive, and he's changed his stance on Brexit to suit his own agenda. I find him self-seeking and unprincipled. He seems to care only for his own advancement.

No way should he be made to apologise. This is supposed to be a country of free speech but of course it isn't. We're far too concerned that we might upset someone and we have got to be so PC about everything.

I totally agree with Boris Johnson. His remarks were taken completely out of context as is usual for the press.
I believe that it should be banned. I hate seeing them completely covered up.

In the other somewhat ambiguous thread on GN "have clothes ever done you any harm", someone has posted an extract in which a writer proclaims that he has never had any harm done to him from women wearing burkas, only from men in suits. Strange analogy, many men have to wear a suit for the workplace, so that comes across as a bit of a ludicrous comment imo and one I would take issue with. Burka wearing Samantha Lethwaite, aka as "The White Widow" has done quite a lot of harm not only here in Britain but in other countries particularly Africa, where I believe she was behind the awful massacre of many in the Nairobi shopping mall. She popped up again a few weeks ago to say she was planning a bombing campaign on the beaches of Spain during the height of the holiday period, so lets hope that those plans are foiled. Burka wearing Safaa Boular, Britain's youngest female terror campaigner has just been jailed, fortunately her murderous plans never came to fruition. Then there was the burka wearing man who tried to flee the country after murdering WPC Sharon Beshenivsky. Whilst I don't disagree that harm to people has emanated from the suit sector at times, it seems to me their transgressions have manifested in a financial way, as opposed to the harm to people from a MINORITY of malevolent burka wearers, who have caused fatalities.

However, moving on from such a spurious argument. I'm not sure Boris would give a monkeys about the opinions of what he looks like, in fact he'd probably welcome them because that's the nature of free speech. Free speech is a basic tenet of a Western society. In principle I agree with that but with some caveats. Given the sensitivity around religious issues I thought Charlie Hebdo were wrong to publish the puerile and insulting cartoon of Mohammed and it certainly wasn't worth the outcome. That's my opinion and I wouldn't expect everyone to agree with me because the counter argument is that in a free western world, there should be a freedom to mock and insult in the spoken or written word. I do think Boris, as a politician should have couched his comments is a slightly more diplomatic way. Nevertheless the Burka is a ludicrous garment and looks incongruous in a western world. Back in the 70s when I was working in London, the Burka just wasn't around, except on the Saudi women who would fly in and out but be briefly around in the West End. They were such an oddity, they would often reduce anyone who came across them into a slack jawed incomprehension of what an appalling sight they were reduced to a non person, enveloped in a hideous black tent, like an over sized black crow and they were an object of pity because even back then we know they were controlled by a patriarchal bunch of misogynists. Now, if that isn't still the case, we are told it's a statement, one that seems to spell out we don't like your western society and whilst I agree it certainly has it's flaws. Nevertheless from what I've read that those of that mindset who fled to Syria to live the "Islamic fundamentalist's dream" and survived to tell the tale found out that life in a western world affords them at least the freedom to criticize every aspect of it, the countries that they felt they could no longer live in, but nevertheless returned to when it all went tits up out in the Middle East. Similarly, the wider population should also be free to criticise the burka, it is contentious and insults women. I would also accept that maybe women with false pneumatic breasts in the Katie Price vein insult women in a different way because they parody the female form and reduce the image of women to a postcard type joke in an equally insulting way. Many will disagree with that, it's just my opinion, but we are allowed to have them!

Boris is positioning himself as the British Trump. He's seen how DT gets away with those type of comments and thinks he can too.

Not BoJo’s finest journalistic moment definitely. I read an interesting article today about how more women are choosing to wear the burka/ niquab as a response to islamaphobia - if they are identified as Muslim they may as well go the whole hog and hide their face - a reaction to increasing hostility in society. It used to be more of a Saudi tradition, but now women from Pakistan / Bangladesh choosing to wear it. I think face covering shouldn’t be allowed where it might be a security issue - airports, schools, courts, hospitals , banks etc but if it’s a woman’s free choice, no problem if they are just going out and about.

To call women in certain clothes rude names is and never will be ok.
I used to think BJ was a laugh but now he is dangerous. He is deliberately manipulating racial and religious hatred. Others will copy and possibly in the street. He should lose the whip. This was not a gaff

His comments are to be put before an independent panel , will they be elevated to the Lords if they absolve him

I suppose if politicians can try and not say stupid and irrelevant things then they won't offend anyone. They are paid enough to watch what they say.
How about them doing a decent day's work instead of acting the fool all the tine

How do children find their mum’s at the school gate?

Oh yes Nicenanny3 I do so very much agree, storm in a reduculous tea cup

I hate the look of the women who look through a slit. You would wonder if they ever take photos on a day out. They wouldn't know who was who. Also when out and about they wouldn't recognise if they bumped into friend and family. I'm not being pc. I'm sick of it.

Exactly gilly

I don’t like either the niqab or the burkha either, it makes non people of the wearer and I want women of all nationalities living here to take a full part in life.

The devil or the deep blue sea lemon ? I think I’d feel the same .

I don’t think there is any point in Boris ‘apologising’ as he knew full well what he was saying so an apology means nothing.
Not being a Minister now, he felt free to say what he likes and he was/is setting out his stall to be PM.
For many reasons I hope that will never happen...if it comes to him or Corbyn as Leaders I shall have to abstain from voting for the first time ever.

its all crap really. its the media with nothing else better to do.everyone makes throwaway comments. even me that said the other month that i didnt want to end up with a sun tan that made me look like an african. not meaning anything as i was with my seychelles penpal .who is a very dark african lady. she just laughed and so did others. its only GB that takes offence,...

I don't think Boris Johnson should apologising might have been inappropriate but true he's been called all sorts of thing it nobodies made a big todo about it political correctness has gone mad and seems all one sided

When i was a Head Teacher a young mum came in one morning thrilled to bits with the new clothes her husband had brought her back from his holiday in Bangladesh.... complete black outfit complete with mesh window... she came to the office to show us... i thought she was thrilled by the fact he'd bought her something as usually they all wore pretty thin cotton sari's etc...including dad at home... we were so horrified that an ordinary quite young shy woman was now wearing such an outfit...
a child coming along the corridor saw her and leapt in the air with delight and shouted Darth Vader... causing hysterics around him... and the young woman to cringe in a doorway...
I had to tell him that was an inappropriate comment and he went off a bit subdued..
well... did that open the door to abuse from his mother ... over the top but really her argument was that my young bangladesh mother DID look like Darth Vader in the eyes of a 7 year old and that's OK with her...

Wonder what you lot would have done..?

This man was a journalist, he knows full well what he was saying .

Sorry, you are right, there were joke comments with the picture I posted. Ok there is less attempt to censure and control what men wear. And I agree with those who have said Boris is not a friend of women's rights.

"Nobody comments on how stupid he often looks."
I hardly dare post this, from a letter in today's Guardian (not mine!):
" I think Boris Johnson looks like a baboon's bottom with a haystack on top".
Obviously intended to be a comment in the same style as Boris' about the burqa.

Vickya, I think 'nobody comments on how stupid he looks' is not correct. why do you think that photograph was printed if not to show this?

Too many generalisations! Too much stupid journalism.!I've just read an articles which say only 89 people didn't watch love island, and everybody is wearing barefoot sandals, espadrilles or sliders. I'm not and neither are my friends!!