“A beach outfit showing in an ostentatious manner a religious affiliation, given that France and religious places are now the target of terrorist acts, has the nature of creating risks of troubles of public order (mobs, conflicts, etc.) that are necessary to be prevented”, said the new law. “Veiled women, Jewish kippa and nuns no longer have the right to be on the beach”, said Ben Mohamed in a tweet. It appears that France does not have the right approach to face the imminent terrorist threat, as it disregards the inclusion of religion in public life.
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He said the measure could also apply to women wearing a traditional Indian sari because such a garment could hamper rescue efforts in the water. ‘The law on the full-face veil only bans covering the face in public.
Cannes’ mayor David Lisnard signed off on the ruling that “access to beaches and for swimming is banned to anyone who does not have [bathing apparel] which respects good customs and secularism”, which is a founding principle of the French republic.
Cannes’ recent restriction on the bathing suit that allows Muslim women to enjoy the pool or beach while maintaining their religious dress code, is the latest in such bans.
“The wearing of distinctive clothing, other than that usually worn for swimming, can indeed only be interpreted in this context as a straightforward symbol of religiosity”, the judge ruled.
Meanwhile, at Villeneuve-Loubet, the town’s mayor, Mr Lionnel Luca, said he made the decision to bar the burkini because of sanitary reasons. “I considered that unacceptable for hygienic reasons and that, in general, it was unwelcome”.
According to Luca, in France, people don’t come to the beach “dressed to display one’s religious convictions, especially as they are false convictions which the religion does not ask for”.
France has faced four terrorist attacks in 2016 and six in 2015.
However, human rights activists argue the laws are discriminatory. Two weeks later, after extremists killed a Catholic priest near Rouen, Muslims across France attended Mass in a symbol of solidarity and a denunciation of terrorism.
Earlier this week, a private waterpark near Marseille cancelled a “burkini-only” day after it sparked outrage among French citizens and politicians.
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It was the latest decision by French authorities taken in the name of laicité – the French term for separation of church and state – that targets the Muslim attire that has become a regular point of contention in discussions about religion and integration in France.
