‘We have not forfeited our right to be treated fairly and as equal citizens in this country’
People have been calling for the resignation of former foreign secretary Boris Johnson after he was accused of ‘vilifying Muslim women’ this week.
Johnson voiced his thoughts on the dress of Muslim women in a recent column for the Daily Telegraph, stating 'It is absolutely ridiculous that people should choose to go around looking like letter boxes’.
Yes. The ex foreign secretary said women who walk around in burkas look like ‘bank robbers’ and ‘letter boxes’ - and unsurprisingly no one is very happy about it.
It was announced that the Tory party were investigating the complaints against Johnson, but that wasn’t enough for the public, with his office hit by a rally against his controversial comments, organised by Muslim Engagement & Development.
Today, 100 British Muslim women have come forward today against Johnson by sending an open letter to the chair of the Conservative party.
Here is the letter in full…
Dear Brandon Lewis,
We, the undersigned, write to you as British Muslim women who wear the niqab or burqa.
We speak as free women who are able to speak for ourselves and make our own choices. Our decision to wear the niqab or burqa is not an easy one, especially given the hate that many of us experience on a regular basis. Nevertheless we do so because we believe it is a means to get closer to God.
We recognise that this is not the practice of the majority of Muslim women and that it is a very small number who make this choice in the UK. All personal choices should be respected.
Contrary to what you may have been told by sections of the media and columnists who profess to know what is best for us, we are not forced to make these clothing choices, nor are we oppressed.
As women who wear the niqab or burqa, we have not forfeited our right to be treated fairly and as equal citizens in this country. Yet we have representatives of our governing party who think otherwise and who use Muslim women in order to pander to far-right Islamophobes within the party, as Boris Johnson has done.
We understand that you have requested Mr Johnson to apologise.
As chairman of a party that seeks to represent the whole country, which protects individual liberty as a cherished British value, your call - we believe - is insufficient.
Given a deliberate choice was made to inflame tensions in a way that makes it easier for bigots to justify hate crime against us, we concur with Conservative peer, Lord Sheikh, who has demanded the whip be withdrawn from Mr Johnson.
Furthermore, given the responses from other MPs, specifically Ms Dorries, and the broader concerns that have been raised by the Muslim Council of Britain amongst others, we believe that there must now be an independent inquiry into Islamophobia in the Party to tackle this issue once and for all.
Our rights as equal citizens may be debated within wider society, but such vile language which has real consequences for us, should never be acceptable.
We are happy to speak to Members of Parliament to share our experiences and perhaps demystify some of the concerns they may have.
We look forward to hearing from you soon,
Yours,
Hawa, Bolton
Shenaz, Bolton
Aisha, Bolton
Nurjahan, Bolton
Asiya, Bolton
Rashida, Blackburn
Zarina, Bolton
Almas, Bolton
Saadia, Bradford
Sabera, Bradford
Aisha, Bolton
Shaheda, Batley
Noreen, Birmingham
Shahnaz, Luton
Hamida, London
Hajra, Dewsbury
Jameela, Bolton
Haleema, Bolton
Haneefa, Bolton
Memuna, Bradford
Firdous, Bradford
Kulsum, Bolton
Fatema, Bolton
Khadijah, Luton
Khoyrun, Portsmouth
Fatima, Portsmouth
Gulab, Portsmouth
Jiba, Portsmouth
Sadika, Portsmouth
Husna, Portsmouth
Saffiyah, Portsmouth
Nazma, Portsmouth
Asma, Portsmouth
Mayarun, Bolton
Zainub, Bolton
Farida, Batley
Yumna, London
Zubaidah, Newcastle
Farzana, Batley
Maaya, Bradford
Simra, Bradford
Rasheda, Leicester
Farzana, Dewsbury
Sajidah, Bolton
Bushra, Newcastle
Rukhsana, Blackburn
Maryam, London
Farzana, Blackburn
Maarya, Batley
Rasheda, Leicester
Aminah, Oldham
Maariya, London
Taslim, Bolton
Shehnaz, Bolton
Shamim, Bolton
Sumayah, Bolton
Badrunnisa, Blackburn
Farhana, Bolton
Fatimah, Leicester
Nasim, Bolton
Rizwana, Bolton
Ammaarah, Manchester
Neelofar, Dewsbury
Salma, Bolton
Lyba, Manchester
Razia, London
Muneebah, Manchester
Qudsiyyah, Manchester
Nida, Birmingham
Sidrah, Manchester
Sahar, Cardiff
Shamima, Newport
Pritima, London
Tahsin, London
Zaynab, Chadwell Heath
Amina, London
Shirin, Stratford
Sumey, Bradford
Arifa, Bradford
Farhana, Bradford
Asma, London
Zakera, London
Summayya, London
Nasim, Leicester
Shahida, Leicester
Nasima, London
Anisa, London
Abeda, Bradford
Nafisa, Bradford
Fatima, Bradford
Khadija, Bradford
Noreen, Bradford
Sarina, Bradford
Halima, Bradford
Azba, Bradford
Nabeela, Bradford
Zainab, Bradford
Ammarah, Batley
Humera, Batley
Asma, Blackburn
Aneesa, Batley
Waseeya, Chorley
Anisah, Preston
Nafisa, Bolton
Jamila, Blackburn
Anisha, Blackburn
Saheera, Blackburn
Shakila, Preston
Tahmina, London
Latifah, London
Nada, Birmingham
Shuhana, Swindon
Sidrah, Oldham
We will continue to update this story.
