He’s not at home in politics. Journalism is a second best outlet for his humour, and high office an even less suitable one
Wouldn’t it be amusing if Boris Johnson’s remarks about the niqab resulted in him losing the Conservative whip in the Commons and thus rendering himself unable to stand for the party leadership? Who knows, such an ironic turn of events might appeal to the baser instincts of the party leadership. After all, his friends say he won’t apologise, as Theresa May has demanded. Is he allowed to bring his party into disrepute with no sanction?
Imagine for one moment if some stray Labour MP had written a newspaper article this week poking fun at Orthodox Jewish dress? Even if they said that the conventional attire should not be banned, but just saying it looked “ridiculous”. And then Jeremy Corbyn asked them to apologise and did nothing when they refused? I think we know the outrage that would bring – and quite right too.
If nothing else, Bozza has done his party a huge disservice in reminding people of the Tories own problems with Islamophobia, clearly detailed by Baroness Warsi, who claims it runs from the top to bottom of her party, and that it had passed the “dinner table test” of social acceptability. Just as the anti-Semitism scandal was rightly damaging Corbyn and Labour, making the Conservatives look respectable by comparison. along comes Boris to mess it all up.
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Categories: Europe, Europe and Australia, European Union, UK
I have to say that the UK is one of the few countries that has failed to ban the burka and niqab. These forms o dress have no place in European culture but are entirely acceptable in Muslim countries. It is like a Christian wearing a cross in Saudi Arabia which is completely prohibited.
The UK should fall into line with the rest of Europe (e.g. Denmark) and ban these modes of dress.