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Wednesday, 8 August 2018

What Muslim women ought not to wear isn’t a matter for Boris Johnson | Letters

Readers respond to the former foreign secretary’s comparison of Muslim women in burqas to ‘letterboxes’ and ‘bank robbers’

I’m appalled by Boris Johnson’s comments on the niqab being compared to a “letterbox” (Johnson should apologise for ‘offensive’ burqa remarks, says May, 8 August). As an Ahmadi Muslim woman who has chosen to wear a hijab, I find Mr Johnson’s words to be utterly offensive. A Muslim woman – or any woman, in fact – has a right to wear what she pleases. Why does the media consistently target Muslim women who wish to wear Islamic dress? It’s not a government’s place to ban Islamic or any religious clothing. It’s absurd that running around naked seems to be OK but wearing clothes is offensive. Surely Denmark should focus on pressing issues such as climate change, pollution and the gender pay gap.

In a new working paper, Henrik Kleven states “The arrival of children creates a gender gap in earnings of around 20%” in Denmark, penalising a woman for having a child. These are the real issues Denmark should focus on. As for Mr Johnson’s offensive remarks, I urge himMr Johnson to think about the way he talks about women. The Qur’an (chapter 24, verse 32) teaches: “Restrain their looks and guard their private parts, and that they display not their beauty or embellishment except that which is apparent thereof and that they draw their head-covering over their bosoms.”

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from Islam | The Guardian https://ift.tt/2OR6JuO

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