It is rare for me to side with Boris – no actually unique – but I think I agree with him on this. His words may be offensive but what is wrong with offense? Can it be Islamophobic if the Burka and Niqab are not Islamic? Certainly seeing a person’s face is an integral part of Western civilised behaviour. In my view these clothings are oppressive and misogynistic.
This is a precis of what Boris said:
Mr Johnson said that schools and universities should expect students to remove face coverings if they turn up ‘looking like a bank robber’. He wrote: ‘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.’ But he said a total ban would boost radicals who claim there is a ‘clash of civilisations’ between Islam and the West.
What do you think?