Burkas And Faux Outrage.

Geoffrey North, Silverdale Avenue, Guiseley, Leeds. 
WITH the use of powerful imagery in his words, Boris Johnson has rekindled the debate concerning burkas and face veils. I suspect many people share his views but this does not make Boris or others racists or islamophobists. If Caucasian women started to wear similar headgear, there would probably be an outcry. Young men wearing hoods which hide their faces create a feeling of unease. Instant thoughts could be “What are they up to or what are they hiding?” Motorcyclists who wear all over-head helmets look like aliens from outer space. But they do it for safety reasons and I am sure that they are only too glad to take them off. Bill Carmichael: Bogus outrage at Boris Johnson’s burka insults My point is that the disquiet is not related necessarily to race or religion, but to the basic psychology behind personal communication, although it may provide ammunition to groups with extremist agendas. For hundreds of thousands of years, humans have developed sophisticated and complex means of communicating with one another which puts them apart from other species. In addition to sounds and words, body language is fundamental and the face with all its multiplicity of expressions plays a key part. The eyes provide direct communication with other individuals. The size of pupils can change depending upon situations, good or bad. The mouth can turn into smiles or snarls. In turn they are both surrounded by facial muscles which, in combination, help to express friendship, happiness, sadness, anger and many other feelings. Burkas and face veils hinder this process of personal communication. 

Read more at: https://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/opinion/yp-letters-let-s-discuss-the-burka-issue-sensibly-1-9297064