Now this ban has been overturned by France’s highest administrative court on Friday prompting a Right-wing backlash as mayors vowed to defy the ruling.
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In its ruling, which unfortunately only applies to Villeneuve-Loubet and not the dozens of other French towns that have implemented the discriminatory law, the court said that the ban contravened “freedom of expression, freedom of conscience and freedom of movement and was manifestly illegal”.
More French Muslims have joined the ranks of IS militants than from other European nations – with at least 600 French citizens in Syria or Iraq, 160 killed and 1,800 either considering or en route.
The ban – which is now in place in 15 towns in France – was issued following the Bastille Day attack in Nice and the murder of a priest in Normandy.
“However, Muslims must continue to engage with us over gender equality, the inviolable nature of the principles of the French Republic, and tolerance in order to live together”.
The wording makes no mention of a specific religion or type of clothing, but it is widely perceived to be aimed at Muslim women who are trying to dress modestly while at the beach.
No French politician truly believes in the practical value of the burkini ban for preventing terrorist attacks.
The ruling follows the case of 15 French towns banning the burkini, a full-length swimsuit that covers the whole body except for the face, hands and feet.
Prime Minister Manuel Valls on Thursday condemned any “stigmatisation” of Muslims, but maintained that the burkini was “a political sign of religious proselytising”.
It would be “unconstitutional” for France to pass a law banning the burkini and such a move could cause irreparable harm, Cazeneuve warned.
A law to ban the burkini in France would fuel tensions between communities and would be unconstitutional and ineffective, French interior minister Bernard Cazeneuve has said. It came in a statement posted on facebook in which he said the debate was not closed.
The issue has filtered into early campaigning for the presidential election in April 2017, making French cultural identity as well as security a hot issue in political debates.
But Valls’ support for the bans over past weeks has exposed divisions within the government, with several ministers saying they opposed them.
The State Council heard arguments from the Human Rights League and an anti-Islamophobia group.
The French Council of the Muslim Faith (CFCM) hailed the ruling as a “victory for common sense”.
A court in Nice had upheld the Villeneuve-Loubet ban this week.
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Hakim, a 42-year-old trader of Algerian origin said that while he welcomed the ruling it did not really reassure him. “It was not like this before, France has changed and it is not easy for us”, he said after Friday prayers at Paris’ main mosque.
