Rowan Atkinson backed Boris Johnson’s burka ‘joke’ – our favourite 17 responses

9.

Imagine if you were regularly abused or threatened for your religion (which happens to Christians in some countries). You rely on the state to protect you. So if a comedian e.g. Rowan Atkinson, jokes about you being an inanimate object, that's less problematic, but your MP?

— Femi (@Femi_Sorry) August 10, 2018

10.

Comedian best known as a clumsy, self-important clown defended by Rowan Atkinson. pic.twitter.com/aGox08rCHb

— The Poke (@ThePoke) August 10, 2018

11.

A comedy critique for Rowan Atkinson:
Gerald the Gorilla saying "Wild? I was absolutely livid" was a great joke. The former foreign secretary comparing women in burqas to letter boxes is not.

— Alistair Coleman (@alistaircoleman) August 10, 2018

12.

Rowan Atkinson wouldn't recognise a racist insult if one painted itself purple and danced naked on top of a harpsichord singing racist insults are here again. pic.twitter.com/Fa3culupud

— Jack Jazz (@JackkJazz) August 10, 2018

13.

Rowan Atkinson is a comedian. Boris Johnson is allegedly a politician.

You expect comedians to make jokes and be offensive about a range of things including religion.

Politicians should be striving to bring out the best in people not speaking to the worst in us.

— Ken (@weird_earlobes) August 10, 2018

14.

Surprise level upon hearing privately educated comedian with muscle-car fetish and UKIP brother finds Boris Johnson funny. pic.twitter.com/QcPUUlxUx2

— barney farmer (@barneyfarmer) August 10, 2018

15.

Funny they should say Orwellian. I’ve just reread the famous bit in 1984 where wealthy, powerful Winston Smith is told to apologise for a racist joke but doesn’t and nothing happens to him and he’s fine. Chilling. https://t.co/0cyYc78eGB

— Dorian Lynskey (@Dorianlynskey) August 10, 2018

16.

In an alternate universe Rowan Atkinson's brother Rodney, who spent the late 90s in a battle with Nigel Farage's faction for control of UKIP, won just 16 more votes in the party's leadership election, led the party into obscurity, and NONE OF THIS WOULD HAVE EVER HAPPENED.

— Jim Waterson (@jimwaterson) August 10, 2018

17.

The thing Rowan Atkinson and others miss is the context: Muslims routinely suffering discrimination, verbal abuse & sometimes physical abuse. Irresponsible comments by posh boys like Johnson just give a green light to bigoted morons.

— Briefcase Michael (@BriefcaseMike) August 10, 2018

We’re reserving judgement until we find out what Ben Elton thinks.

And in the interests of balance and all that, there was this.

Hugely impressed by Rowan Atkinson’s defence of @BorisJohnson. He surely anticipated he’d be targeted by the Twitter outrage mob as a consequence, but stood up for free speech anyway. As @JohnCleese said, no one has the right not to be offended.

— Toby Young (@toadmeister) August 10, 2018

And this.

Rowan Atkinson is a cunt. Isn't he? For expressing an opinion. About jokes and the right to ridicule religion. What a CUNT! I wish he was DEAD!

— Jonathan Pie (@JonathanPieNews) August 10, 2018

Separate but very related, here’s what Atkinson had to say about free speech a little while back.

All of your supremely tolerant progressive liberal types are apparently unified in their intolerance of Boris Johnson's burka comments.

So here's Rowan Atkinson with an eye-opener for them. pic.twitter.com/ywWjukHNne

— Alf Garnett (@MrAlfredGarnett) August 9, 2018

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Daily Mail readers back Boris Johnson and these are the only 9 responses you need