Boris Johnson and his burka comment

There is a huge debate in the UK about Boris Johnson's comment in an article in the Daily Telegraph that Muslim women who wear burkas look like letter boxes and bank robbers. He has been told to apologise by the Prime Minister, the chairman of the Tory Party, a former ministerial colleague at the Foreign Office, Muslim women and many others. Only Rowan Atkinson of Blackadder and Mr Bean comedy fame seems to have backed his comment on the grounds that it is funny and comedy should never be banned. Well, firstly, Johnson, not that long ago the UK's foreign secretary and, as the Americans like to put it, the country's chief diplomat, he got his facts wrong. He was not referring to burkas but to the niqab which covers the whole head and face but leaves a slit for the eyes. The burka covers the whole face including the eyes and I can't remember often seeing Muslim women wearing that style of dress in the UK, but very often in Afghanistan. The niqab is much more commonly worn, and the hijab, a black scarf around the head, is even more common on the streets of the UK's towns and cities. Secondly, Boris Johnson held one of the most prestigious state appointments in this country and even though he is currently footloose and fancy-free and has no political responsibilities other than to his constituents - and to his supporters who want him to be the next prime minister - he still should be aware that he can't go around taking the mickey out of people, especially those of the Muslim faith because they are I would suggest more sensitive to his sort of poor humour. Thirdly, he wrote what he wrote because he probably thought it would get tremendous publicity and keep his name in lights and also appeal to the baser type of person - and I'm not referring here to Rowan Atkinson. He should eventually apologise. He will be forced to say that he did not mean any offence, although he is intelligent enough to know that that it is precisely what the letter box and bank robber comment was bound to do. Apart from being rude and insensitive, it was a stupid thing to write, and to come from a person who still seeks the highest office in the land it was wholly reprehensible.