The burkini. Photo courtesy of Reuters.
Summary: The French ban on Muslim bikini garments is being contested in court.
France has forbidden the wearing of burkas in public, and that includes the burka-inspired swimwear, the burkini. Now, critics of the ban have filed a lawsuit, causing the country to examine whether or not such bans are actually legal.
The lawsuit has shone a spotlight on the French government’s treatment of Muslim women. Video has surfaced showing police disrobing women of the burkini in public, and this elicited outrage online. Some have expressed that the French’s treatment of Muslim women has worsened religious tension, according to Fox News.
Prime Minister Manuel Valls said on Thursday that burkinis were the embodiment of “the enslavement of women.” He said that he supported local leaders who banned their presence, but he urged police to implement the bans respectfully.
Critics of the ban said that the orders are vague, which has resulted in authorities fining women for wearing headscarves or hijabs, not just burkinis.
Education Minister Najat Vallaud-Belkacem said that bans of the fashion were politically driven and flamed racial problems. In the country, tensions are especially high because of the recent series of terrorist attacks.
Human rights groups have asked the Council of State to overturn the burquini rules, and the court is expected to make a decision this week. The ruling is specific to a ban on one Riviera town, but experts said that the decision could set a precedent for other cases that deal with whether or not French cities can tell Muslims what to wear on the beach.
The wearing of religious garments is a sensitive subject in mostly secular France, and on Monday, a lower court originally said that the wearing of religious clothing could provoke people and increase tensions.
What do you think of France’s ban on burkas and burquinis? Let us know in the comments below.
Source: Fox News