Michael Nazir-Ali, the former Bishop of Rochester, warned Islamic dress was being “weaponised by Islamists”, and that it had “implications for integration and social cohesion”.
The Pakistani-born cleric, who led the Diocese of Rochester between 1994 and 2009, also said the garments should be outlawed in a variety of places “for reasons of national security”.
He told the Mail on Sunday: “We have all seen how even male terrorists have escaped arrest by donning a burka and making an effective getaway.
“For reasons of national security, there will be places like Parliament or Whitehall or town halls and council chambers where the burka should not be allowed.”
He also said many professions “require personal interaction with the client”, and that the trader and customer should be able to see each other’s faces.
“This is even more true of doctors, dentists, nurses and paramedics,” he added.
His comments come amid an escalating row over a newspaper column by former foreign secretary Boris Johnson (pictured above).
Mr Johnson has faced ongoing criticism for his description of Muslim women in face-covering veils as looking like letter-boxes or bank robbers.
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