“Muslims, like all French citizens, should be able to worship freely but they must also understand that in the public space where there is public interest, all citizens should make the effort to use ‘natural reason, ‘” Chevènement told Le Parisien.
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The burkini, a wetsuit-like garment designed for Muslim women, covers the torso, limbs and head.
Bottom line: For some, the ban on burkinis is an appropriate response to Islamic extremism and the subjugation of women associated with Islamic extremism; while for others, the bans are counterproductive measures that violate the rights of women, and only further victimizes and stigmatizes Muslims living in France.
The women were all stopped by police in Cannes where a ban on the conservative swimming attire came into place on 28 July. “It can not be considered only as a question of fashion or individual liberty”, Laurence Rossignol said on Europe-1 radio.
But Rim-Sarah Alouane, a religious freedom expert at the University of Toulouse, says the anti-burkini brigade is relying on outdated ideas about Islam to stigmatise France’s second most widespread religion.
Kzabri said “pro-nakedness individuals” feel embarrassed by “decent women who wear hijab and veil”.
The burkini “was created by Western Muslim women who wanted to conciliate their faith and desire to dress modestly with recreational activities”.
The French Prime Minister appears to have thrown his weight behind the ban on so-called “burkinis” on the beach at Cannes.
“There are no burqinis in Le Touquet at the moment, but I don’t want the town hall to be caught off-guard if we are affected by this phenomenon”, Fasquelle told AFP.
Since then, several other French towns have also enacted similar bans on the burkini. Critics say the bans are discriminatory and could inflame religious and social tensions. Violent extremists have also cited the bans as one of their justifications for targeting France.
Dakhli said the bans reflect a colonial-era view of Muslims.
More than 230 people have been killed in France in the past 20 months by extremists, and authorities are struggling to protect the country’s Muslims from racist backlash while allaying fears over extremism.
Valls said the swimwear represents a “provocation” and an “archaic vision” that women are “immodest, impure, and that they should therefore be totally covered”.
On Monday, a town in Corsica became the third in France to ban the full-bodied swimsuit following a clash between local residents and bathers of North African descent. “I don’t think we should legislate the issue”.
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Some reports said it started because a young man took a photo of a woman in a burkini, though the exact circumstances of the incident remain unclear.
