I AM writing in response to Boris Johnson’s comments about the burka-wearing Muslim women and Rowan Atkinson’s defence of him.

I am a 23-year-old Muslim women living in Britain who chooses to wear a hijab and cover parts of my face. I have been doing this since I was around 15, out of my own choice and to follow my faith. I do not wear a niqab/burka but I find it highly offensive and appalling that British politician ridicules and insults Muslim women who wear burka by comparing them to ‘letterboxes’ and ‘bank-robbers’.

We are living in the 21st century and in the Great Britain which proudly speaks of its freedom of choice and rights of women. It is a society where people from diverse backgrounds, cultures and beliefs are celebrated rather than reproached. Politicians like Boris Johnson are doing nothing but damaging the peace of society at a time when we need unity.

It is very highly duplicitous of him to speak against the burka ban in Denmark and revile the Muslim women at the same time. He speaks of ‘live and let live’, but can’t restrain himself from criticising a section of society who doesn’t dress as he likes.

I would like to tell him that they do not care if he likes their appearance or not because they are grown-up women who have every right to decide for themselves what they want to or do not want to wear.

I would also like to tell all the people defending Mr Johnson’s comments in the name of free speech, including Rowan Atkinson, that there is a difference between free speech and hate speech. Mr Johnson is not a comedian who needs to make jokes to make people laugh. He is a politician, a public representative and he owns a responsibility to represent and unify all types of people in his country.

Lastly, I would like to tell all of those who think that burka should be banned, that they shouldn’t for one second think that they are any better than the governments and individuals who force women to wear a burka. Stop forcing and telling women what to wear.

Basira Ajmal

Havant