Burka-wearing scientist says Boris Johnson’s comments are making Muslim women ‘dehumanised’ and like ‘criminals’

BORIS Johnson's burka comments are making women who wear veils feel "dehumanised" and like "criminals", a Muslim scientist has said.

Sahar Al-Faifi, who has had her face covered since she was 14, said the ex-foreign secretary's remarks were having a negative effect on the community.

Mr Johnson is facing mounting calls to say sorry for his newspaper column, where he said burka-wearing women looked like "bank robbers" and "letter boxes" - but we shouldn't ban the garments in Britain.

Theresa May, Ruth Davidson and other top Tories have said he should apologise for the offensive comments, but so far he's refused to and branded the attacks on him as "ridiculous".

Today Sahar Al-Faifi, who works as a scientist in the NHS, told Good Morning Britain: "You are forgetting that there's a human behind it."

She added: "When they describe us as bank robbers he is creating an environment of suspicion. He is criminalising us, it very a very negative impact on us, makes us feel unsafe in the streets."

Last night Muslim Tory Peer Lord Sheikh, who founded the Conservative Muslim Forum, said the ex-foreign secretary should be booted out of the party.

Scots Tory boss Ms Davidson said today his comments were "poor form".

And serial Brexit rebel Dominic Grieve insisted he wouldn't be able to stay in the Tory party if Boris ever became leader.

Tory Chairman Brandon Lewis demanded Mr Johnson apologise yesterday after Boris refused to reply to his messages on Monday night and again on Tuesday morning, The Sun has learned.

And the PM insisted that Boris’s words  “obviously have offended”.

Mrs May added: “It is very clear that anybody who is talking about this needs to think very carefully about the language they use.

“So I agree with Brandon Lewis.”

This morning more top party officials lined up to say he should stand down and apologise.

Ex-Tory chairman Eric Pickles said it would be a "sensible thing to apologise" and he had "closed down the very debate that he wanted to open".

He added: "He used a couple of phrases he knew would get him attention, but has got him attention for all the wrong reasons."

But he admitted Boris probably won't face any disciplinary action for his remarks.

And Culture Secretary Jeremy Wright added: "My advice to Boris would be to have this conversation, give his point of view, but to make sure as a public figure his words don't cause offence if they don't have to."

He said Boris should reconsider his choice of language - but agreed with him that the burka was not appropriator dress to wear in all circumstances.

But it's not the first time that politicians have landed themselves in hot water for discussing the burka.

Shadow Foreign Secretary Emily Thornberry told Question Time in 2013 that she wouldn't let someone wearing the dress look after her child.

And ex-Tory leader Ken Clarke said that face veils "undermine justice" and were a "peculiar" item of clothing.

And even ex-Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg said they were not appropriate in classrooms or at airport security - but did not call for a ban.

However, one Tory MP said today they wished Boris had actually called for the burka to be outlawed in public spaces in Britain.

Nadine Dorries told TalkRadio she was disappointed that he didn't go further, and said: "He could have called for the release of Muslim women segregated in society."

But some said Boris' words were part of moves towards a future leadership bid.

Ex-Ukip boss Nigel Farage said: "Given at some point in time, it will be the Tory party members who will be voting on a new leader, I suspect these comments make him more likely to become Prime Minister, not less."

Yesterday Conservative peer Lady Warsi accused Mr Johnson of adopting the "dog-whistle" tactics of former Donald Trump aide Steve Bannon in the hope of attracting support from right-wing Tories for an eventual leadership bid.

She added that it could make hate crime more likely.