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UK Muslim Council Warns PM Against 'Whitewashing' Johnson Amid Burqa Controversy

The country's largest Muslim group has demanded a full inquiry into Boris Johnson's recent burqa jibe, which has sown division in the Tory camp; the former cabinet minister is now facing an investigation into breaches of party conduct after his newspaper article, in which he claimed that burqa-wearing women resemble "bank robbers."
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In a letter to Prime Minister May seen by The Guardian, the Muslim Council of Britain will demand a full disciplinary inquiry into former Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson's allegedly "Islamophobic" comments.

The council will speak out against "any whitewashing of this specific inquiry currently in process," arguing that no one should be allowed to victimize minorities with impunity.

READ MORE: Analyst Finds Reaction to Johnson's Remark on Burqas 'Astonishingly Scandalous'

Last Monday, the former cabinet minister compared burqa-wearing women with "letterboxes" and "bank robbers" in a Daily Telegraph column, sparking outrage within the Muslim community and igniting a row in the Conservative camp. He faced an internal Tory inquiry after the party received dozens of complaints about his statement.

Johnson's Joke About Burqa Wearers 'Pretty Good One,' Mr. Bean Actor Backs Boris

Prime Minister May and Conservative chairman Brandon Lewis have called on Johnson to apologize, but he has refused to do so.

Moreover, some public figures have leapt to his defense: Tory backbencher Jacob Rees-Mogg slammed an investigation into Johnson's comments as a "show trial," while famed comedian Rowan Atkinson admitted that he himself enjoyed poking fun at religion, and said that Johnson's joke was "a pretty good one" and that no apology was required.

The Muslim Council of Britain is the country's largest Muslim umbrella body with over 500 affiliated national, regional and local organizations, mosques, charities and schools.

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