A town in Corsica has become the third in France to ban full-body swimsuits, known as “burkinis”, following a clash between local residents and bathers of North African descent.
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“That is not compatible with the values of France”, he said in an interview with La Provence newspaper, although he fell short of backing a full national law against the swimwear.
Three Mediterranean towns – Cannes, Villeneuve-Loubet and Sisco on the island of Corsica – have banned the clothing garment marketed toward some Muslims, and Le Touquet on the Atlantic coast is planning to do the same.
According to the French PM, the idea that women are not pure by nature and that they should be completely covered is archaic.
Socialist mayor Ange-Pierre Vivoni said that wearing the Islamic swimwear-which covers the whole body, leaving only the face, hands and feet exposed-would be prohibited in a measure he describe as necessary to “protect the population”, The Guardian reported on Monday.
“The mayor talks about protecting public order, which means he thinks the presence of a Muslim woman on a beach will cause trouble”, she said.
But some say the ban on the burkini in France is a direct result of terrorist acts.
In the seaside town of Leucate, the decree, which runs until August 31, bars access to public beaches to “any person who is not properly dressed, respectful of moral behavior and secularism, hygiene and bathing safety”.
The bans have provoked strong criticism from Muslim groups and anti-discrimination organisations, who argue women should have the freedom to dress how they wish. “Faced with provocations, the Republic must defend itself”, he adds.
The new ban in the Corsican village follows a fight on the beach on Saturday which was broken up by hundreds of riot police.
Burqini’s design is meant to comply with the Quranic instruction for women to dress modestly. In the end, five people were rushed to the hospital and three cars were burned.
‘What is more French than sitting on a beach in the sand?
He said he was not targeting Muslims but he wanted to get rid of what he called “Islamist fundamentalists” on the island.
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“Today there is so much tension in the town and unfortunately throughout Corsica [and we should] avoid any resumption of violence”, he said, as cited by France 3 Corsica. There has been no confirmation from police or the local prosecutor’s office as to whether anyone on the beach was wearing a burkini at the time of the incident.
