Boris’s boorishness bears its bonanza

Bus driver in Bristol demands Muslim woman remove niqab

It’s an astonishing scene. The woman video’d the driver out of his seat, harassing her for being a potential terrorist – she had a baby with her – and being a generally obnoxious prick. Natural Tory voter, I’d say, at least for a Johnson Tory. First Bus, it has to be said, are taking the incident seriously, and credit to them for that.

I’m against anyone being forced to wear a niqab or burqa if it’s a symbol of religious or sexual repression, and it can be. But if it’s a free choice, it’s no worse than wearing a balaclava. A balaclava keeps out unwanted cold. A niqab or burqa keeps out unwanted scrutiny. Maybe we should all consider them. Admittedly, the police might have reservations about that, but they do now have DNA testing to rely on instead.

Ok, facial recognition is vastly important in human interactions, but do we really have a right to be able to scrutinise every random stranger’s face in public? If someone’s face is bandaged because of an injury, should they not be allowed out in public? Should nuns be required to take off their headgear, cowls and veils? If folk aren’t wearing a cowl, burqa or balaclava, does that mean it’s impossible they could blow the bus up? Why would any actual terrorist go about drawing attention to themselves? They’d dress and comport themselves like everyone else.

No-one has protested about nuns, balaclavas or bandages before, but now Boris has been a total arse, they are harassing women in modest religious attire, not because it is modest, but because it is Muslim. It’s irrational fear and  bigotry, pure and simple, and Boris is feeding it.

Now, it has been argued that Boris is just a British Trump, that he has no actual convictions or sense of ethics, but will simply do and say whatever he thinks will get him into Downing Street. He apparently thinks the world revolves around him, or when it doesn’t, it bloody well should. Well, he does have an equator rather than a waist.

Well, maybe Boris himself isn’t a bigot or racist, perhaps his best pals are coloured and not lily white, though I’d doubt it. But he is an opportunistic arsehole who shouldn’t be within a hundred miles of the premiership of a diverse nation. His willing association with racists and bigots, his repeated attacks on racial and Muslim minorities in the UK, make it irrelevant what his actual feelings are.

When you pander to the wicked, you may as well be wicked. Johnson is stirring a loathsome pot of hatred, and people are going to get hurt, maybe killed, because of him. A modern Enoch Powell, he’s poison.

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