Pakistan-born bishop voices support for partial-ban on burqas in UK

A Pakistan-born bishop in the UK has called for a near-total ban on wearing of burqas in public places in the country as he backed former British foreign secretary Boris Johnson's criticism of the practice, according to a media report.

Michael Nazir-Ali, the former Bishop of Rochester, said the burqas should be outlawed in a wide range of situations where people interact, including in hospitals, doctors surgeries, universities and schools, Daily Express reported.

Earlier this month, Johnson triggered a controversy when he wrote in a newspaper column that women in burqas resemble "bank robbers" and "letter boxes."
He added: "It is true that some women choose to wear the burqa or niqab because they feel it makes them more observant Muslims. It is also true however that the burqa or niqab is being weaponised by Islamists to impose what they consider to be 'Islamic' character on communities, neighbourhoods and even nations."