Racist Tories

Why not, opal, if it's his opinion?

"But surely it is not for BJ to be telling Muslim women that a garment of clothing " is oppressive". Or that it is " weird and bullying" to expect women to cover their faces."

This is just political correctness gone mad. Surely BJ is as entitled to his opinion as anyone else? I happen to agree with him, it IS oppressive to women and in British culture, hiding your face is historically seen as negative or even threatening behaviour, which I think is why it is such at odds with our feelings today and why it is often raised as an issue. I feel exactly the same about youths dressed in "hoodies" - they give me the same feeling. If you have nothing to hide, why hide your face? It's alien to my culture, although I realise it is not alien to others. Having said that, we are a free society and should all be able to dress as we wish, within reason - in just the same way as we are all entitled to express an opinion on any issue, without fear of repercussions, again within reason.

This has been blown up out of all proportion to score political points. Why can't we just have a grown up discussion and accept that there are cultural differences that we may disagree about, and that we are all entitled to an opinion on those differences.

Humour is very subjective. We don't all need to find the same things amusing.

Who on earth is "attacking* you grapefruitpip?

I meant Johnson had the right to say what he did. ie women can wear what they like even if they do make themselves look like letterboxes.

Peonyrose, I had a Muslim student, 5 years ago, who chose NOT to wear a headscarf. Her sister chose to. My student was 11 at the time.

She wrote a VERY moving speech about the hatred the sister wearing the scarf had thrown at her in public when they were out together.

Since WHEN is it our business what anyone else wears? Don't cover up your racism with 'concern for oppressed women' comments when all you're doing is 1) Patronising women by assuming they can't pick their own clothing and 2) Exposing your OWN racism for assuming clothing = oppression.

BJ is a racist. He's made SO many racist comments. I wouldn't be surprised if a photo of him in blackface surfaced at some point. His racism is so well known it is barely a talking point.

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I can't understand what is funny about it, please don't start attacking me. I just don't see why it's funny. Like I don't see why saying a woman looks alike a sack of spuds or a battleax or mutton dressed as lamb is funny.

Why do you feel the need to mention free speech?

Boris has apologised for the hurt caused by racism in the Tory party. Just heard on news on R4

It therefore exists

Dog whistle politics.

If you don’t understand that you can’t understand the implication of these remarks.

You certainly wouldn’t find it amusing.

We do still have free speech in this country you know.

In what way? Ummm. It made me laugh.

There was no reason any hate crime should have followed that comment. Blame the haters. Any excuse for a punch-up.

But surely it is not for BJ to be telling Muslim women that a garment of clothing " is oppressive". Or that it is " weird and bullying" to expect women to cover their faces.

Has he spoken to any?Has he asked?

Gonegirl, in what way did you find the letterbox comment funny?
Probably not terribly funny to those experiencing the hate crime that followed his article.

Here are the two most relevant paragraphs (out of 12) from an article by BJ published in the Daily Telegraph 5 August 2018:

If you tell me that the burka is oppressive, then I am with you. If you say that it is weird and bullying to expect women to cover their faces, then I totally agree – and I would add that I can find no scriptural authority for the practice in the Koran. I would go further and say that it is absolutely ridiculous that people should choose to go around looking like letter boxes; and I thoroughly dislike any attempt by any – invariably male – government to encourage such demonstrations of “modesty”, notably the extraordinary exhortations of President Ramzan Kadyrov of Chechnya, who has told the men of his country to splat their women with paintballs if they fail to cover their heads.

I am against a total ban because it is inevitably construed – rightly or wrongly – as being intended to make some point about Islam. If you go for a total ban, you play into the hands of those who want to politicise and dramatise the so-called clash of civilisations; and you fan the flames of grievance. You risk turning people into martyrs, and you risk a general crackdown on any public symbols of religious affiliation, and you may simply make the problem worse. Like a parent confronted by a rebellious teenager determined to wear a spike through her tongue, or a bolt through her nose, you run the risk that by your heavy-handed attempt to ban what you see as a bizarre and unattractive adornment you simply stiffen resistance.

Well, I thought the letterbox thing was funny.

I'll see if I can find the article in question but eazybee is correct. The comment about burkas on people resembling letterboxes was in a whole passage about people being free in this country to wear what they like but also people being free in this country to say something was ridiculous if they thought so.

If I wore a burka the whole effect would be of a black letterbox and it is a ridiculous garment in my opinion. I had a brown cape in my teens that made me look like a mushroom too.

Does anyone have a link please to the article where BJ defends the rights of Muslim women? I have tried but I can't find it.

Yup goes both ways for me .....

Business publication listing Johnson’s, racism, misogyny and much more.

www.businessinsider.com/boris-johnson-record-sexist-homophobic-and-racist-comments-bumboys-piccaninnies-2019-6

He was defending their right to wear the burkha.

Pantglas if that was proof then presumably for you the fact that Ed Milliband was Labour leader proves that the LP is not anti-semitic?

www.stylist.co.uk/life/boris-johnson-prime-minister-terrifying-prospect-muslim-women-letter-box-islamaphobic/273741

There was a “significant spike” in Islamophobic incidents after Boris Johnson compared women in burkhas to “letterboxes” in his Daily Telegraph column, according to an anti-racism organisations

No ,he wasn't defending Muslim women.

OK, that totally proves it doesn't it. A Muslim in power, they must be totally all for equality of opportunity.

I understand that the chancellor is Muslim- how does that fit with anti Muslim tories?

The letterbox comment was poor, but if you read the whole article BJ was defending the right of Muslim woman to wear whatever they like in public, even if many do consider it OTT covering your face. His point was it is a free country in the UK and you can walk about in whatever you like.