This week, ex-Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson was in hot water for comments that have been branded as ‘Islamophobic’.
In a Daily Telegraph article, Boris Johnson described niqab’s and burka’s as ‘weird’, and the women that wore them looked like ‘letterboxes’. For some understanding, the niqab is a veil that covers most of the face, except the eye area. A burka is a one-piece veil that covers the body and the face, except the eye area. These coverings are worn by women who follow the Islamic faith.
Islamophobia is far from a recent issue, and since 9/11 a growing anti-Muslim sentiment has rapidly intensified, dominating political discourse across Europe and North America. Right-wing political parties across Europe are picking up new supporters through a combination of anti-immigration and anti- Muslim ideology. The hijab, niqab, burka and other variants of modest clothing worn by Muslim women have become the most visible signifier of Islam, so has been subject to a vast amount of anti- Muslim sentiment. Some European countries have already started a ban on Muslim women wearing full-face veils in public, including France, Belgium, Austria and most recently, Denmark. Germany and the Netherlands have also enforced partial ‘burka bans’.
The relationship between the modest clothing worn by Muslim women and politics is a difficult one. Many view these coverings as an infringement on women’s freedom and is a physical representation of the oppression of women. However, by creating legislation banning Muslim women from wearing certian coverings, does this mean that these countries that view themselves as ‘liberal’ no longer have a claim to this title? Ater all taking away the right of a woman to wear what she wants in the name of ‘freedom’ is simply another form of oppression.
Many Senior Conservatives have criticised Johnson for his comments, including Theresa May, who demanded that he apologise. However, he has refused to do so, and he has been backed by many including former Trump advisor Steve Bannon and his own father, Stanley Johnson, who says he ‘should have gone further’. I think it may be too late to try and make an example of Mr. Johnson as he has already gotten away with far too much, and I also suspect that not much action will be taken against Johnson, and he probably knows this too.
Johnsons’ comments also reinforce some of the deeper issues within the Conservative party, including ingrained racism, sexism, and Islamophobia. And no matter how much they try and clean themselves up and pretend that these are not serious issues within the party, it will always be a stain on the Conservative party’s reputation. It is also ironic that a few days before, the Tories were criticising Jeremy Corbyn and the Labour Party for their lack of action regarding anti-Semitism within the party, with Home Secretary Sajid Javid calling for Corbyn to resign. How the tables turn.
This not so new, but increasingly blatant strategy by political parties in the UK using identity politics as a method to critique their opposition, gain public support and to appear more tolerant and centrist is becoming very embarrassing, especially as many people can see right through it. But do political parties really need to use this angle as a way to gain new voters? In a YouGov poll this week, 57% of participants supported a ‘burka ban’, and this suggests that a large percentage of British people may actually have a right-wing political stance, rather than a centrist one. So maybe Boris Johnson, who allegedly has ambitions to become party leader, may actually be on to something. His comments may be part of a well thought out strategy to attract more voters, especially those who may still support UKIP.
Looking at the world today, maybe liberalism is on its way out and conservatism is making its way back in as the dominant political ideology in Europe.
What Happened This Week? 