‘How can I put my faith in a leader who likens me to a letterbox?’ Veiled Muslim woman blasts Boris Johnson on Question Time
- It came after Tory Robert Jenrick took aim at Jeremy Corbyn for anti-Semitism
- The veiled Muslim woman said she is an English teacher who teaches respect
- She questioned how she could put her faith in the PM at the general election
- Mr Johnson likened burqa-wearers to letterboxes and bank robbers in 2018
A veiled Muslin teacher tore into Boris Johnson on Question Time last night for his historic comments comparing burqa-wearers to letterboxes.
It came after Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick took aim at Jeremy Corbyn for denying Labour had a crisis of anti-Semitism in Tuesday’s ITV debate.
The female audience member accused the senior Tory of hypocrisy before launching into a stinging attack against the Prime Minister, who made the controversial remarks in a newspaper column last year.
Addressing the Bolton audience, she said: ‘When you look at me what do you think? You think of a letterbox, because that’s exactly what he said in an article.
A veiled Muslin teacher tore into Boris Johnson on Question Time last night for his historic comments comparing burqa-wearers to letterboxes
‘He mentioned women like me who wear the burqa alongside people who wear balaclavas. I’m an English teacher. You see me as oppressed, you see me as someone who probably doesn’t speak English because she’s got a veil on her face.
‘I’ve got a degree in English. I teach my pupils about politics, about mutual respect, tolerance, all the brilliant fundamental British values.
‘But how can I put my faith in a leader when that same leader likens me to a letterbox?
Pockets of the audience burst into applause in response to her comments, with one even shouting ‘you’re a human being!’.
She also referenced the calls from former Conservative chair Baroness Warsi for the party to have an internal review on Islamophobia, accused Mr Johnson of failing to act.
Mr Jenrick staunchly defended his party for stamping out any form of racism, and said Conservatives respect her right to where what she likes.
It came after Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick took aim at Jeremy Corbyn for denying Labour had a crisis of anti-Semitism in Tuesday’s ITV debate
Mr Johnson sparked fury last year after making the ‘letterbox’ comparison in his then weekly newspaper column.
Also likening veiled woman to ‘bank robbers’, he said that the burqa was a symbol of oppression.
And he hit out at male oppressive regimes around the world who force their female populations to adopt them.
Mr Johnson 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.’
He added: ‘If a female student turned up at school or at a university lecture looking like a bank robber then ditto: those in authority should be allowed to converse openly with those that they are being asked to instruct.’