Ban the burqa? It's only fair, seeing as they've banned the duffle coat

I was previously against people proposing to ban the burqa.

However, I do believe in equality.

Now, I have noted before that Steve Gough - aka 'the Naked Rambler' - has spent years languishing in Scottish prisons for wanting to walk around naked. Most of the last seven years, in fact. For being naked.

Naked... you know... that thing they make you get at airport security desks (except they actually just take photos of you naked), right before state employees frisk you in such a way as to have themselves a grope of your genitals.

Even Ron Paul was groped in case he was a terrorist.

I do not think Steve Gough should be in prison for possessing a human body.

And I think people should wear - and, actually, not wear - whatever they like.

But today, something changed my mind on the burqa.

Out shopping on Oxford Street, I was witness to a youthful shop assistant chasing an early-twenties guy around the store... in order to demand that the customer take down the hood on their duffle coat.

Now, I don't need to lecture anyone about how cold it is.

And I don't need to illustrate how much more revealing a duffle coat hood is compared to a burqa.

But could you imagine what would have happened if the same shop assistant had chased an Islamic woman around the store and demanded she remove the burqa?

Oh, but this was an English guy... in the terrorist clothing of choice (he says, with much sarcasm)... the duffle coat.

So, if the duffle coat hood is banned in stores, so too should be the burqa.

We're all about equality and fairness these days.

And I think duffle coat wearers should be treated the same way as people in burqas.

It was Sports Direct, Oxford Street, entrance to the Plaza Shopping Centre if anyone is wondering...