Former U.K. Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson claimed, in an appendix added to the latest edition of his 2006 book «The Dream of Rome», that the Muslim world is «literally centuries behind» the West, the Guardian reports. Johnson's essay has stirred controversy in the UK, especially among the Muslim community. His words were seen as «disconcerting and problematic» by Tell MAMA, a project that records and measures anti-Muslim incidents in the United Kingdom. Meanwhile, the Muslim Council of Britain has also criticized said essay, wondering if «the favorite to become the next prime minister still believed Islam inherently inhibits the path to progress and freedom», Guardian added. Last year, Johnson was accused of Islamophobia after saying that Muslim women wearing burkas «look like letter boxes». Although he spoke in a Telegraph column against the full-face veil ban, implemented in Denmark, he described the dress as «absolutely ridiculous». British Prime Minister Theresa May slammed Johnson for his words, arguing that «nobody is allowed to tell a woman how to dress».
