A Question Time audience member ‘destroyed’ Boris Johnson over his ‘letterbox’ burqa jibe, claiming her mum is now too afraid to wear the Islamic garment.
The teacher claimed the Prime Minister had ‘incited racial hatred’ with his comments – and slammed him for refusing to apologise.
She added that the remark went against the British values she was supposed to instill in her students.
Speaking on the BBC programme, the woman said: “How is comparing a woman in a burqa to a letterbox showing strong leadership? I am a teacher of politics and I couldn’t justify that to my class.
(Image: BBC)
(Image: BBC)
“If I’m teaching kids about tolerance of different faiths and mutual respect – that goes against our British values. Why do we have a Prime Minister in power who goes against our values?
“He has not yet apologised for those comments that he made. It was wrong for him to say. It has led to an increase in race hate crime against women in burqas.
“My mother used to wear a burqa and she stopped wearing it because she feels unsafe.”
(Image: BBC)
(Image: BBC)
She said she was against supporting a Prime Minister who ‘incites hatred’, adding that her sister had been attacked for wearing a hijab – a headscarf worn by some Muslim women.
Question Time guest Conservative MP Paul Scully said he would not have described the burqa as a ‘letterbox’.
However, he claimed Mr Johnson was actually making an argument in favour of the garment, which covers a woman’s body and head.
He also questioned the teacher’s claim that the article was responsible for an increase in hate crime.
The audience member received widespread support on social media.
Newham councillor Mas Patel tweeted: “Wow: Johnson destroyed on BBC Question Time by a hijab-wearing politics teacher!”
Another Twitter user said: “She spoke well and I agree with her. Why do we have a Prime Minister who incites hatred? It’s not good enough to keep making excuses for Boris Johnson’s loose tongue.”
Mr Johnson said it was ‘absolutely ridiculous that people should choose to go around looking like ‘letterboxes’ in a Daily Telegraph article last year.
