Boris Johnson's Latest 'Gaff'

He does often make himself look stupid and almost always looks like he has been dragged through a bush backwards but what does that change?

I agree with Nellie and Maizie, it was spiteful and rude and somehow gives others permission to comment and be rude too. Ladies wearing the Nicab or full face cover are attacked more often now than previously, Boris is high profile and knew his comment would stir things.

Nobody comments on how stupid he often looks.
And it is just women's clothes they want to censure. Too short, too revealing etc. Women going to the beach in long black trousers and tops because of religious reasons are criticised too. And it is not just Moslems. Jewish women wear a head covering if very observant.

^If it's correct that more muslim women are wearing the burqua now than in the past that could be more worrying.
The spread of more extreme fundamentalism, interpretation of the Koran^

Worrying indeed Fennel

Because she is quiet and hates confrontation pinkwallpaper There are quite a few of them and her senior manager has told her not to, for fear of being accused of racism.

We have a small predominantly Muslim area in our town (they tend not to mix) and we are seeing more recently than we ever did. I wonder why?

If it's correct that more muslim women are wearing the burqua now than in the past that could be more worrying.
The spread of more extreme fundamentalism, interpretation of the Koran.
Eldest son works in Kuwait which used to be quite liberal. Now becoming less liberal.

Gill bob
Why would your daughter not want to ask these ladies to move? I do not understood why tilt would be a problem if the are using tables that are supposed to be for customers?

The first time I saw a shape,totally draped in black with a hole near the top,I honestly thought it was a pillar box on its way to a fancy-dress party.

I can’t see why people are so incensed by the burqua. I live in a Muslim area. I don’t see a burqua every day but perhaps one a week. I have never seen a lady in a burqua who looked at all likely to be a man; he would have to be very small and slim. If you smile at the pretty eyes in the letterbox you will likely see them smile back. I hope they are happy to wear it. No doubt there are some who are oppressed by their menfolk but you don’t have to be in a burqua for that to be a suspicion. I am honestly happier to see a woman in a burqua than some of our young females with wobbly bottoms in thin leggings or short shorts and everything hanging out on top.

Boris Johnson in my opinion is a boor

Maybe they feel safer from all the racist bigots they meet every day.
PECS Islam is not a race - it is a religion, with different sects as in other religions, some stricter than others.

I wish more people I know had actually read the article. I heard it read out in full by Vanessa Feltz on Radio 2 yesterday and was astonished. He was arguing against a ban on burqas. Along the way he expressed what I feel is perfectly legitimate distaste for the expression of male dominance they represent. In both positions he’s speaking for the majority of Britons, whatever the BBC may want to believe. What was unfair about his words is that he targeted the burqa-wearer for ridicule - not the patriarchy which forced her into it.

A seriously flawed individual who is no friend of women's rights.
Possibly, JessM - but do you think that women wearing such head covering are doing so because of their rights or because of pressure from the men in their family?
In which case, should we not be fighting for their rights in this country, regardless of what other restrictions other countries may impose?

The fact that the majority of the grass roots Tory party agree with him is one of the many reasons I am not a Tory.
I think you may find that many people in the country may agree with him about this particular topic, regardless of which political party they support MaryHoffman

I would be embarrassed to say “ and most grass root Conservatives agree with him” But then I would be thoroughly ashamed to say I was a Conservative( and use the NHS which they are clearly dertermined to privatise) ! What about orthodox Jews or Amish people! Who next? If its part of their culture and religion who has the right to be so offensive- Bo Jo and obviously Conservatives thats who. He always displays his racism. Hes playing to the far right just like Trump. If I were younger I would leave this country, I am quite ashamed to be British at the moment!

Thank you, LuckyGirl for your long and thoughtful post earlier today. There's an interesting letter in the Times this morning from an imam which argues that there is “no Koranic legitimacy” for the burka, and it is “a nefarious component of a trendy gateway theology for religious extremism and militant Islam”.

Boris said he didn't agree with banning any sort of face veils. Fine . He then went into his rude comments about bank robbers and pillar boxes. Fine too if you are only a journalist but this man, it seems, aspires to lead this country! He was enough of an embarrassment as Foreign Secretary please don't inflict him on us as PM!

Gillybob - I m glad you agree with BJ that the garment you find scary should not be banned in U.K.
When in a children’s clothing department without GD wondering about sock size I spotted a child about the height of GD. Since the two young women with him wore the niquab I simply looked them in the eyes and asked their opinion on sock size. We discussed it quite easily, communication is not that difficult after all!
Pamela - who cares what (some of) the US military says? Their favourite mf expression is already heard far too often.

I do not agree with the OP. I think BJ always knows exactly how offensive he is being and, as a narcissist, wanted to be back in the headlines before launching his latest leadership bid. The fact that the majority of the grass roots Tory party agree with him is one of the many reasons I am not a Tory.

I can’t stand BJ, but I must admit I agree with his sentiments, however clumsily or offensively put. I think it is an outrage that women have to wear this offensive garment because of men’s wishes. Not only do they look ridiculous, I think they look sinister too. If it their own choice, then that is fine. We are all so afraid of saying what we think nowadays, and thinking this way does not make people racists either.

I have not read the whole thread so apologies if someone else has posted the fact that a senior Iman has said Boris Johnson was right to say what he did, and didn't go far enough. The Iman also said that the burka is banned in the Kaaba - the holiest place at Mecca - and that they are hideous ninja like garments. I am all for people wearing whatever they like but I have to say that I find being near anyone swathed from head to foot in a black tent like garment is intimidating and worrying, given that at least one terrorist has left this country with his sister's passport, wearing a burka. It is a cultural choice, not a religious requirement as has often been said, and why any woman wants to fight for the right to dress in such a garment and reduce herself to a state of medieval invisibility in a mystery.

Good old Boris, he says what most people think.

I am no BJ supporter btw, I just happen to agree with the piece he wrote .

This is getting really silly and has nothing to do with headscarves at all. He was referring to the complete “pillar box style” by whatever name it is known . The type that covers the entire body with just an eye slit or mesh to look through .

Someone’s probably mentioned this, but the ‘letterbox’ garment isn’t a burka. It’s a niqab. A burka is a complete covering. (I have no idea how to spell these words.)

It's Boris being Boris.

There's a leadership election brewing, and judging by the vox pop interviews on national TV last night, the remarks have a lot of grass roots support from the people eligible to vote for him.

He is no better than a "shock jock" who boosts radio programme ratings by saying outrageous things without a care for how they might endanger people. He is also, I gather, in breach of the Ministerial Code that regulates what paid work ministers do after leaving their role. We have had virtually no immigration from the part of the world were it is common for women to cover their faces. Syrians and others from that part of the middle east don't wear them and neither are they common in the subcontinent. In London I always assume they are visitors spending lots of oil dollars on expensive clothes and jewellery - very good for the economy. Johnson has a long track record of making offensive, racist remarks to a wide variety of targets. Does he bloody care if it encourages thugs to pull headscarves of Muslim girls going to school. No - he only cares about himself to the exclusion of the rest of the human race. A seriously flawed individual who is no friend of women's rights.