Thought I'd start a new thread as this is going to be a major talking point this year...have not made up my mind yet...(unlike bucksfizz)....but thinking of voting for an exit as Europe is not doing Britain any good at all it seems....

imo, boris was worse than inappropriate in his choice of words

that the wearing of the burka is (i am sure) one of social convention rather than an instruction in the koran, is irrelevant

to deride women who choose to go thus attired is downright offensive and bullying, just as it would be to mock hasidic jews in their long black coats, black felt hats and ringlets

Both look ridiculous to me and I'm sure I look ridiculous to others. That you can dislike something but accept it doesn't compute with an increasing number of people; they believe tolerance is them accepting the things they like.

Cheers,
KidA

Agreed. And quite often, Boris looks ridiculous himself.

eg.

If that is the measure of ridiculous, then most of us are guilty. He looks dishevelled but not ridiculous. I'd rather a man like that than a preening peacock.
As for that crowd protesting that what he said was racism, they need to get a life. My personal experience with muslims has been almost totally positive but I believe the burkah should be banned. It has no place on the streets of the UK.

as i wrote yesterday ....

imo, boris was worse than inappropriate in his choice of words

that the wearing of the burka is (i am sure) one of social convention rather than an instruction in the koran, is irrelevant

to deride women who choose to go thus attired is downright offensive and bullying, just as it would be to mock hasidic jews in their long black coats, black felt hats and ringlets

Hardly social convention, a totally antisocial garment. What hasidic jews have to do with it I don't know but their style of dress is convention rather a bible instruction. To my mind, the whole lot need to lighten up, throw off the shackles and smell the roses.

you really are unbelievably bigoted

hijab etc is at heart social convention and why antisocial except in very limited circumstances?
as with the hasidim, what business is it of yours what people choose to wear?

smell the roses!!

I would commend a recent purchase of mine from Edward Green, the Northampton shoe manufacturer:

'The Style Guide'

A book with pictures and notes, written by Simon Crompton

(look in 'Accessories' on their web site's shopping section)

It doesn't mention the burka at all as it is sexist and is written for men. I suppose we can live in hope for future editions......

People wearing hoodies and motorcycle helmets are in many cases told to remove them on entering shops etc, why not those wearing a Niqab or Burka?

Dont change the topic to suit your argument, Cynic. I was referring to the burkah, as well you know. Anyone wearing one should be given an asbo. The hijab was never mentioned except by you. As for the hasidic jews, they can wear whatever attire that makes them happy. Now get off your high horse.

An element of the letter box? Yes. Resemble bank robber headgear? Yes. Do Gareth Bale and Martin Keown have more of an ape look? Yes. If hair looks like a golliwog's, it looks like a golliwog's. The peacocks at Pitti Uomo are only to receive praise? FO.

Star Wars rewritten for our age:

Obi-Wan Kenobi: Only a master of evil, Darth.

Darth Vader: What?

Obi-Wan Kenobi: Only a master of evil.

Darth Vader: You can't say that! Fascist.

Vader storms off and takes to Twitter:

Darth Vader (Twitter): OMG! Unbelievable! Kenobi just called me a master of evil. #EndHateSpeech #EndFascism

burka or hijab or tefillin what's the difference except in detail and affiliation?

by all means one can dislike all or any of the above, or hoodies or motorcycle helmets
however, boris was just downright and intentionally offensive and bullying, and that is not acceptable at all

Manuel.

I thought you were guilty of having a similar trait to Boris.

Once again, I must be mistaken.

(;->

Some people are easily offended. How do they make it out the door? Let's pander to them.

you will note that i did not say anything about racism

the fact of the matter is that boris's words were intentionally highly offensive and bullying ..... and that is the issue

it would have deserved a similar response had boris used such offensive words and tone of men who wear make-up in public or are heavily tattooed or ride motorcycles or of women in that last instance

freedom of speech also carries innate responsibilities

cynic

You say, "...boris was just downright and intentionally offensive and bullying, and that is not acceptable at all"

How dare you criticise what someone else has written?

What utter rubbish! Boris (notice the capital 'B') was factual. Neither was he offensive. Neither was he bullying.

I think you are using a bullying tone with your posting. Furthermore, your highly illogical reasoning in the post, coupled with that bullying, is also offensive too.

A person wearing a burka does somewhat resemble a letterbox. One has a slit for the eyes. The other has a slit for letters. They both have slits. Thus logically, they are comparable.

A person covering the majority of his/her face does not want to be seen (and/or recognised?). Neither does a bank robber. That's why a bank robber and a person wearing a burka are logically comparable.

This country is not Saudia Arabia. There are no laws about what people should or should not wear in this country and Boris (notice the capital 'B' again) agreed with that in his article and said the law should stay that way. Very reasonable of him. Not at all offensive then or bullying either!

Logically, because a person wearing a burka cannot be facially recognised, it logically follows that a person covering their face so as to be unrecognisable may be about to, or may have already, commit(ted) a crime. People covering their faces with motor cycle helmets and purchasing fuel at a filling station are (sensibly and justifiably for obvious reasons) asked to remove their helmets whilst conducting the entire transaction. They can be seen and recognised from CCTV if the need arises. Not so with someone wearing a burka, eh? And don't let's be 'sexist'. Such a person wearing a burka could be either male or female.

I think Boris (notice the capital 'B' again) is extremely literate. Since you are exactly the opposite, my £5 says you are extremely jealous of just that.

When I was at both infant and also junior school, I and may others on here were taught the necessity to use proper spelling and proper grammar too. Later on, at senior school when I was taught French (as just an example) a missing 'acute' or 'grave' accent, or the use of the wrong tense with a verb, would be judged as being an error and lose you marks when, say your written translation homework was marked by the teacher.

You are illiterate. That in itself is forgiveable. What is not forgivable, is that you do not care one jot about it. And yet, you have the utter gall to criticise one of the most literate men on the planet, namely Boris Johnson, and who one day might easily become our Prime Minister and really stand by what he says and prints.

I think, that every one of your posts is an offence to the English Language.

your post says an awful lot more about yourself than it does of me

Freedom of speech is exactly that, the freedom to say what you want and offend people.

Being offended is, in the words of RA, like children being exposed to viruses, the more you are exposed you build an immunity.

The trouble is since Political Correctness came in nobody is getting offended that often anymore, and so everyone is becoming very offended by things they should not be offended by.

We need more offensive speech......lots more of it, then we will all grow immune to it and nobody will be offended.


Sticks and Stones may break my bones but names will never hurt me..............was taught to kids............now its adults who need to be taught this very basic necessary bit of common sense.

Grid girls were banned because of what they wear............even though the girls were happy and wanted to wear and work in that job.

That was considered great by the lefty liberal nuts.............

Now the same people are saying you cannot tell women what to wear............nutters, they are all nutters...............

i beg to differ
i take it that you feel gratuitous abuse of anyone is perfectly acceptable