With a ban that spanned more than 30 French towns along the coast near Nice, the city that was targeted in a mass attack on Bastille Day, the global community and Muslims living in France protested the harsh law that marginalized those who chose to cover up.
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France’s top administrative court has overturned Friday Aug. 26, 2016 a town burkini ban amid shock and anger worldwide after some Muslim women were ordered to remove body-concealing garments on French Riviera beaches.
“As the prime minister has said, the government refuses to legislate on the matter because any such law would be unconstitutional, ineffective and likely to create antagonism and irreparable tension”, he said.
He spoke after a day-long conference with Muslim leaders, professionals and some lawmakers to try to mount a project meant to bind Muslims to the nation, a task given new urgency after deep divisions surfaced over burkini bans in 30 French beach towns and after extremist attacks that also stigmatized Muslims. By overthrowing the decision of the mayor, the court has “stated the law”, he added.
And much like the recent burkini bans, opinion in the country is divided between those who see the laws as an infringement on religious freedom, and those who view the Islamic dress as inconsistent with France’s rigorously enforced secularism.
“We do not need a new law. They think that in the current context of terror threats, we can abandon the fundamental principles of law as embodied in the Constitution”, he said, warning that such a move would be “a serious mistake”.
PARIS (AP) – The national identity crisis exposed by France’s burkini controversy is threatening to set the tone for the country’s presidential campaign. Among causes he is championing are bans on the Islamic veil in universities, in dealings with the public services and in workplaces, the tightening of family reunification rules, and the prohibition of pork-alternative menus for Muslim and Jewish children’s lunches in state schools.
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“France needs healing and people coming together, not divisive outbursts by those contesting in primaries”, Cazeneuve said.
