Boris Johnson: burqa wearers look like bank robbers, letter boxes

Boris Johnson has refused to back down over offensive remarks about Muslims, but some see the comments as a clever ploy.

Boris Johnson leaves 10 Downing Street earlier this year. Picture: AFP.

Boris Johnson has sparked outrage after saying women who wear burqas look like “letter boxes” and bank robbers.

Britain Prime Minister Theresa May has joined calls for her former Foreign Secretary to apologise for the remarks, made in a newspaper column earlier this week.

Mr Johnson, who left Mrs May’s government last month in a dispute over Brexit, disparaged burka wearers in a column that, ironically, defended their right to wear the full face veil.

He said he opposed banning burqas and other face covering garments but felt it was “absolutely ridiculous that people should choose to go around looking like letter boxes.”

Mr Johnson’s remarks came after Denmark last week followed France, Germany, Austria and Belgium in banning face-coverings in public places.

In a column for Britain’s Telegraph newspaper Mr Johnson said he felt “fully entitled” to expect women to remove face coverings when talking to him at his MP’s surgery, and said schools and universities should be able to take the same approach if a student ”turns up … looking like a bank robber.”

His article drew criticism from Muslim groups and fellow politicians. Mohamed Sheikh, founder of the Conservative Muslim Forum, said the article had been “totally out of order.” Middle East Minister Alistair Burt criticised Mr Johnson for comments he said “many people would find offensive.”

Conservative Party chairman Brandon Lewis said in a tweet that he had asked Mr Johnson to apologise.

Mrs May agreed, saying: “I do think that we all have to be very careful about the language and terms we use. And some of the terms Boris used describing people’s appearance obviously have offended.”

However Mr Johnson, who has a reputation for controversy and political gaffes, refused to back down.

“It is ridiculous that these views are being attacked — we must not fall into the trap of shutting down the debate on difficult issues,” a source close to Mr Johnson told reporters.

“We have to call it out. If we fail to speak up for liberal values then we are simply yielding ground to reactionaries and extremists,” the source said.

Mr Johnson resigned as foreign secretary in July, accusing Mrs May of killing “the Brexit dream” with her plan to seek close economic ties with the European Union after the U.K. leaves the bloc next year. The resignation solidified his position as a leader of the pro-Brexit wing of the Conservative Party, which is deeply divided over its attitude to the EU. Many expect Mrs May to face a leadership challenge if faltering Brexit negotiations don’t improve — and Mr Johnson is likely to be a contender to replace her.

Some suspected his burqa comments were intended to boost his appeal among right-wing members of the party.

Sayeeda Warsi, a Conservative member of the House of Lords, said Mr Johnson was using Muslim women as a “convenient political football to try and increase his poll ratings.”

“These were offensive comments but clever politics,” she said. “Boris knew the effect and the impact that this kind of dog-whistle politics would have.”

AP