Boris Johnson issued a half-hearted apology after being confronted with comments he made comparing women in burqas to "letter boxes" and "bank robbers".
The Tory leadership candidates were asked by an Imam in Bristol whether or not they believed that "words have consequences".
Reminded of his provocative comments by presenter Emily Maitlis, frontrunner Boris Johnson replied: "Yes of course in so far as my words have given offence over the last 20 or 30 years that I've been a journalist, people have taken those words out of my article and escalated them.
"Of course I'm sorry for the offence that they have caused."
Mr Johnson has a history of making offensive remarks including describing black people as “piccaninnies” and “tribal warriors” with “watermelon smiles”.
The former Foreign Secretary instead emphasised his own Muslim family.
He said: " I would just say to our friend from Bristol when my Muslim great grandfather came to this country in fear for his life in 1912 he did so because he knew it was a beacon of generosity and openness and a willingness to welcome people from around the world and if I am prime minister I will ensure that's the way our country acts and behaves."
But he had an awkward moment when he failed to remember the name of the Imam asking the question.
"In respect of what the...my friend over there... " he floundered before Ms Maitlis interjected: "Abdullah".
Mr Johnson continued: "Abdullah
Ms Maitlis said: "You are frequently careless with your language."
She continued by referring to Mr Johnson's record on half British mum Nazanin Zaghari Ratcliffe who remains in jail in Tehran.
When giving evidence to the Commons Foreign Affairs Committee in 2017 Mr Johnson gaffed said that she was "teaching people journalism" but Nazanin always insisted her 2016 visit to Tehran was for her daughter to meet her grandparents.
Nazanin's employer, the Thomson Reuters Foundation, said she was seeing family and urged Mr Johnson to correct his "serious mistake".
Nazanin's husband, who is on hunger strike in protest at her ongoing imprisonment, said this week: “He clearly made a mistake … At times I’ve resented him for it.”
But today Mr Johnson said of his error: "It didn't I think make any difference."
And he doubled down saying: "In pointing the finger at the UK you are exculpating those who are truly responsible which is the Iranian National Guard."
