The beach ban comes at the height of French Rivera holiday season and follows a decision earlier this week to scrap a proposed burkini-only day for Muslim women at a water park near Marseille.
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“Beach attire that ostentatiously displays a religious affiliation, while France and places of worship are the target of terrorist acts, is likely to create risks to public order”, the ordinance says.
Thierry Migoule, head of municipal services in Cannes, appeared to stir up the debate by saying the town wanted to ban “ostentatious clothing that shows an allegiance to terrorist movements which are at war with us”. I am simply banning a uniform which is the symbol of Islamic… Violators risk a €38 (NZ$59) fine.
“Access to beaches and bathing is forbidden to count the signing of this Order until August 31, 2016 to any person not properly dressed, respectful of morality and secularism, respect the rules hygiene and safety adapted swimming maritime public domain”. He added the ban on the head-to-ankle beachwear is meant to “protect the population” by reducing attention paid to Muslims in distinctive clothing. French law already forbids face-covering veils anywhere in public, and headscarves in public schools.
The event in the suburb of Pennes-Mirabeau was the brainchild of Smile 13, a women’s association catering for Arabs in Marseille, whose population of almost two million includes around 220,000 Muslims, mainly of Algerian origin. The association Smile 13 organised the event for women, girls and boys, asking swimmers to respect the Islamic notion of “awra”, a reference to parts of the body to be hidden.
Parliament released a statement at the time reading: “Radical practices which violate the dignity and equality between men and women, such as the wearing of the full veil, are contrary to the values of the French Republic'”.
The local branch of the Human Rights League warned that the Cannes burkini ban could further alienate French Muslims.
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France has been the target of several terror attacks in the past few years; a truck attack in Nice in July was the most recent incident. The original state of emergency has been in place since November 2015, when terrorist attacks in Paris killed 130 people.
