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5 things to know about French burkini bans


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2016 Aug 25, 9:42am   23,569 views  139 comments

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The French Riviera resort Cannes was the first to temporarily ban the burkini — full-body swimwear Muslim women wear at public beaches and pools — on July 28, in the wake of multiple terrorist attacks in France by Muslim extremists. Since then, 14 other French cities have imposed similar bans.

The ban drew controversy this week in response to photos showing armed police officers forcing a woman wearing leggings, a long-sleeved top and a head scarf on a beach in Nice to remove parts of her clothing.

Here are five things to know about the ban:

The burkini is technically not illegal in France

The burqa (a single piece of clothing covering the entire body from head to feet) and niqab (a full-face veil with the area around the eyes open) were prohibited in public places in France in 2011 on the grounds that they are conspicuous religious symbols. But the "burkini" — a combination of "burqa" and "bikini" — is not illegal. Cannes' temporary ban expires on Aug. 31.

On Thursday, Conseil d'État, France's highest administrative authority, was hearing a challenge to the ban by rights groups that say they amount to religious persecution and are used for political purposes. Prime Minister Manuel Valls said burkinis represent "the enslavement of women," and the ban should be handled with sensitively so as not to worsen religious tensions.

This debate isn't going away anytime soon

A decision on whether to overturn the ban is expected by the weekend, but a heated debate in France may last well into next year. Former French president Nicolas Sarkozy, who announced this week that he intends to run again in 2017, called the burkini a "provocation" that plays into the hands of Islamic extremists.

An ardent secularist, Sarkozy told French TV on Wednesday that "we don't imprison women behind fabric." Muslims, he said, must "assimilate" and shouldn't "impose their differences on the majority." If elected, Sarkozy said, he will ban every visible religious sign in French universities.

Ban on burkinis are actually good for business

The Lebanese-born, Australian woman who is credited with creating the burkini said sales of the Muslim-friendly swimwear have soared as a result of the bans and resulting publicity. Aheda Zanetti, 48, who runs a swimwear business in Sydney, told the BBC that online purchases of the full-bodied suits were up 200% since July. Zanetti said she first got the idea for the burkini after realizing that Muslim women in Australia were being left out of the country's fabled beach lifestyle. "I wanted my girls to grow up to have that freedom of choice," she told the broadcaster. "I don't care if they want to have a bikini. It's their choice." Zanetti said that Christians, Hindus, Jews and Mormons also bought the suits.

Germany faces similar situation with face veils

The debate over what Muslims can wear in public is not limited to France. A similar debate has emerged in Germany, where more than 1 million migrants arrived last year. and where a spate of recent terrorist attacks have fueled public anxiety and enhanced support for far-right groups.

German authorities are weighing partial bans on face veils in schools and universities and while driving. “It doesn’t fit in with our open society. To show one’s face is crucial for communicating, for living together in our society and keeping it together," Interior Minister Thomas de Maizière said last week. German Chancellor Angela Merkel opposes a blanket ban. France and Germany each has a Muslim population of about 5 million.

Clothing prompts questions about women's rights

Many people see the burkini ban as an assault on Muslims as well as an infringement on a woman's right to wear what she likes in public. There has been fierce condemnation online and in social media.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2016/08/25/europe-burkini-controversy-france/89325642/

#burkiniban

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12   Strategist   2016 Aug 25, 10:35am  

Sharingmyintelligencewiththedumbasses says

If Indonesia started harassing tourists for crosses on the beaches

Saudi Arabia already does that. They throw away all non Islamic religious items at the airport. And then women are forced to wear the ugly Burkhas.
Wearing Burkhinis is a sign of sharia support. I could care less for such people.

13   mell   2016 Aug 25, 10:47am  

turtledove says

mell says

obey the local rules and laws

But this is akin to "fashion police."

Well the reasons behind this have nothing to do with fashion. Also many pools and lakes do not allow you to go in fully clothed for different reasons. While you could make the argument that you may just be in the mood to go into the water like this your freedom is not really hampered that much by following that rule. And if this is very important to you, you may be in the wrong country/culture. Pretty much every country (including the US) has laws that don't make little sense to some, esp. outsiders, yet we all have different cultures and backgrounds and if we want to live somewhere else we have to adapt to the people's customs. You have the right to be offended or question the law, even overturn it if you engage politically, but there is nothing controversial about this at all.

14   Sharingmyintelligencewiththedumbasses   2016 Aug 25, 10:49am  

Strategist says

Sharingmyintelligencewiththedumbasses says

If Indonesia started harassing tourists for crosses on the beaches

Saudi Arabia already does that. They throw away all non Islamic religious items at the airport. And then women are forced to wear the ugly Burkhas.

Wearing Burkhinis is a sign of sharia support. I could care less for such people.

And it is stupid. Or is your point that it is a good thing?

"I could care less" then care less. a lot less. The expression you twit, is "I couldn't care less"

15   Tenpoundbass   2016 Aug 25, 10:50am  

If I were a life guard I wouldn't want to have to pull someone strugging in the water with the added burdon of their soaking wet water logged full body covered garment.
Lose flowing veils and over dresses just makes that 10times worse.

16   Strategist   2016 Aug 25, 10:56am  

Tenpoundbass says

If I were a life guard I wouldn't want to have to pull someone strugging in the water with the added burdon of their soaking wet water logged full body covered garment.

Lose flowing veils and over dresses just makes that 10times worse.

If I was a lifeguard I would let the burkhini babe sink.

18   Sharingmyintelligencewiththedumbasses   2016 Aug 25, 12:18pm  

Strategist says

If I was a lifeguard I would let the burkhini babe sink.

If you were a human being, and not a worthless fuckstain, you wouldn't write things like this.

Please tell me you aren't a christian, you lowlife asshole.

19   Tenpoundbass   2016 Aug 25, 12:20pm  

Strategist says

If I was a lifeguard I would let the burkhini babe sink.

I would too! And not because of bigotry. YOu've got a long flowing scarf and body wrap around a full body pantsuit, if any of that fabric wrapped around you it while she was thrashing and panicking it would be over.
Then if you hit her to knock her out it would be an international hate crime. Even if none of that happened, the husband on the beach would shank you and throw acid in your wifes face for disturbing the virtues of his drowning wife by grabbing her around her body near her boobies and having your junk pressed up against up against her junk.

It would just be best to let her sink. And say "I told your stupid ass, not to wear that shit!"

20   Rew   2016 Aug 25, 12:53pm  

mell says

Controversy? If you are in a different country/culture, obey the local rules and laws or get the fuck out already. Period.

That apply to birth control and gay wedding cakes too?

Seriously, legislating on what people are wearing? Beyond basic public decency laws that seems asinine. What next? You going to tell me what I can read too?

21   Strategist   2016 Aug 25, 1:25pm  

Tenpoundbass says

Strategist says

If I was a lifeguard I would let the burkhini babe sink.

I would too! And not because of bigotry.

I would let her sink because i'd be doing the world a favor.

22   Strategist   2016 Aug 25, 1:25pm  

Sharingmyintelligencewiththedumbasses says

Please tell me you aren't a christian

I'm an atheist.

23   neplusultra57   2016 Aug 25, 1:56pm  

Tenpoundbass says

Strategist says

If I was a lifeguard I would let the burkhini babe sink.

I would too! And not because of bigotry. YOu've got a long flowing scarf and body wrap around a full body pantsuit, if any of that fabric wrapped around you it while she was thrashing and panicking it would be over.

Then if you hit her to knock her out it would be an international hate crime. Even if none of that happened, the husband on the beach would shank you and throw acid in your wifes face for disturbing the virtues of his drowning wife by grabbing her around her body near her boobies and having your junk pressed up against up against her junk.

It would just be best to let her sink. And say "I told your stupid ass, not to wear that shit!"

Tell all the nuns to swim somewhere else and not to expect real Americans to save their stupid asses.

24   Sharingmyintelligencewiththedumbasses   2016 Aug 25, 2:10pm  

Strategist says

Sharingmyintelligencewiththedumbasses says

Please tell me you aren't a christian

I'm an atheist.

I feel sad for you, that after all the living you've done, you are so wretched a human being. Your life must absolutely suck to leave you so bitter.

Or maybe it is just utter ignorance, living in your trash neighborhood. Perhaps if you new muslims, you wouldn't be so judgemental and full of hate.

25   Strategist   2016 Aug 25, 2:19pm  

Sharingmyintelligencewiththedumbasses says

I'm an atheist.

I feel sad for you, that after all the living you've done, you are so wretched a human being. Your life must absolutely suck to leave you so bitter.

Actually my life is just fantastic. I have everything i could want.
I'm also a wonderful human being because I hate Islamic terrorism and sharia laws. All good humans should hate the rotten Islam. Why don't you?

26   Sharingmyintelligencewiththedumbasses   2016 Aug 25, 2:30pm  

Strategist says

I hate Islamic terrorism and sharia laws.

saying you'd let a muslim women drown, simply because of an outfit gives proof to the lie ofyou being a good human.

27   Rew   2016 Aug 25, 4:51pm  

Strategist says

All good humans should hate ...

That's very Christian of you.

28   Strategist   2016 Aug 25, 5:00pm  

Sharingmyintelligencewiththedumbasses says

Strategist says

I hate Islamic terrorism and sharia laws.

saying you'd let a muslim women drown, simply because of an outfit gives proof to the lie ofyou being a good human.

I would not take anyone seriously on the internet.

29   Strategist   2016 Aug 25, 5:01pm  

Rew says

Strategist says

All good humans should hate ...

That's very Christian of you.

I'm a proud atheist. And yes, I hate the shariah laws, and so should every decent human being.

30   Heraclitusstudent   2016 Aug 25, 5:11pm  

turtledove says

You see... Now you're making me want to book a ticket to Cannes and wear a burkini to the beach just to prove a point. I'm not a Muslim. What if I just happen to like the look and want to sweat my ass off? (those things have to be toasty). Don't you find it annoying when people ignore the actual problem and instead focus intensely on irrelevant minutia?

This clothing is like waving ISIS flags on your beaches. It's a political symbol of political Islam that announces to the world "Screw you westerners, we are taking over."
After what happened not far away in Nice, it's no wonder it raises eyebrows.

31   OneTwo   2016 Aug 25, 5:17pm  

Heraclitusstudent says

This clothing is like waving ISIS flags on your beaches. It's a political symbol of political Islam that announces to the world "Screw you westerners, we are taking over."

After what happened not far away in Nice, it's no wonder it raises eyebrows.

Is that supposed to be a joke? Women raised conservatively dressing conservatively on a beach is like waving an ISIS flag? I don't think so. Let them wear what they want to wear. It isn't a fight with any upside, and in fact, the kind of ban you're applauding actually plays into the hands of the anti-Western ISIS propagandists.

32   turtledove   2016 Aug 25, 5:18pm  

Heraclitusstudent says

This clothing is like waving ISIS flags on your beaches.

They've been covering up long before ISIS. It is their belief that their beauty should be something only their husband gets to see. So they cover their hair, bodies, faces... This has nothing to do with terrorism. And it's a practice that has been going on much longer than these terrorist attacks... wars... or oil interests...

33   Strategist   2016 Aug 25, 5:22pm  

turtledove says

Heraclitusstudent says

This clothing is like waving ISIS flags on your beaches.

They've been covering up long before ISIS. It is their belief that their beauty should be something only their husband gets to see. So they cover their hair, bodies, faces... This has nothing to do with terrorism. And it's a practice that has been going on much longer than these terrorist attacks... wars... or oil interests...

The ones who commit terrorism are the more conservative, shariah loving, West hating people. They are the ones most like to wear the Islamic garbs in public. Also take the example of naming a kid Osama after 911. The name has existed for a long time, but clearly indicates support for Osama Bin Laden.

34   turtledove   2016 Aug 25, 5:25pm  

I tried looking up an image of the Islamic flag to compare the design to the burkini... And I couldn't help but notice, each flag image seems to look a little different... Like they don't really have an official flag. I can't read Arabic, but I can see when the lettering is different or words are longer/shorter. Anyway... I wonder which one is the official one. And just to confirm... None of the versions had colorful flower or paisley prints on them, as seen above in the burkini picture.

35   OneTwo   2016 Aug 25, 5:26pm  

turtledove says

They've been covering up long before ISIS. It is their belief that their beauty should be something only their husband gets to see. So they cover their hair, bodies, faces... This has nothing to do with terrorism. And it's a practice that has been going on much longer than these terrorist attacks... wars... or oil interests...

Let's be quite honest, modest dress has been the norm in pretty much all Western societies for a very long time. Most Muslim women dress modestly, quite a few dress like a modest Kim Kardashian (a strangely popular role model for a lot of young women in the ME as it happens). Most (outside a couple of countries) don't wear burqas or niqabs. The majority of women do wear hijabs, but so what? It's a headscarf, a very common piece of attire in Western Europe until not that long ago.

36   OneTwo   2016 Aug 25, 5:29pm  

Strategist says

Also take the example of naming a kid Osama after 911. The name has existed for a long time, but clearly indicates support for Osama Bin Laden.

You mean like naming your kid Ted shows support for Ted Bundy?

37   Heraclitusstudent   2016 Aug 25, 5:32pm  

Rashomon says

Is that supposed to be a joke? Women raised conservatively dressing conservatively on a beach is like waving an ISIS flag?

It's not a joke. This is a symbol of the ultra conservative culture of extreme Islam. Moderate Muslims don't dress like this.
These clothes are de facto a display of support for an ideology that resulted very recently into heaps of dead French people.
They are deliberately dressing like this to set themselves apart from regular French people. Otherwise they wouldn't even show up on a beach.

Rashomon says

plays into the hands of the anti-Western ISIS propagandists.

Not banning this display plays into the hands of both Islamists and right wing French parties rejecting Islam as a whole.

38   Heraclitusstudent   2016 Aug 25, 5:33pm  

turtledove says

They've been covering up long before ISIS.

Sorry, French beaches did not have them before ISIS.

Also traditional Muslims women simply don't go to the beach.

39   Sharingmyintelligencewiththedumbasses   2016 Aug 25, 6:27pm  

My son Pontius Osama Mohammad Luficer Hitler Trump wears his name with pride!

40   OneTwo   2016 Aug 25, 6:33pm  

Heraclitusstudent says

It's not a joke. This is a symbol of the ultra conservative culture of extreme Islam. Moderate Muslims don't dress like this.

How would you know? How do 'moderate' Muslims dress when they go the beach? I spent a long time travelling around India. Hindu women are generally fully clothed when at the beach. It's called dressing modestly in a conservative society NOT 'a symbol of the ultra conservative culture of extreme Islam.'

41   OneTwo   2016 Aug 25, 6:34pm  

Heraclitusstudent says

Also traditional Muslims women simply don't go to the beach.

Absolute nonsense. Ever been to the ME? Muslim women frequently go to the beach with their families.

42   Strategist   2016 Aug 25, 6:41pm  

Rashomon says

Heraclitusstudent says

Also traditional Muslims women simply don't go to the beach.

Absolute nonsense. Ever been to the ME? Muslim women frequently go to the beach with their families.

I've been to Dubai (loved the place), the most liberal of the screwed up Middle East. They do go to the beach, the malls and anywhere else. But Burkhinis and Burkhas in the desert heat is still human rights abuse.

43   neplusultra57   2016 Aug 25, 9:00pm  

turtledove says

Heraclitusstudent says

This clothing is like waving ISIS flags on your beaches.

They've been covering up long before ISIS. It is their belief that their beauty should be something only their husband gets to see. So they cover their hair, bodies, faces... This has nothing to do with terrorism. And it's a practice that has been going on much longer than these terrorist attacks... wars... or oil interests...

No, no, no. First it's the burkini and next is a mushroom cloud. Burkinis are WMD

44   Y   2016 Aug 25, 9:11pm  

I command you to read Patrick.net
Now let's see if you obey...

Rew says

You going to tell me what I can read too?

45   Y   2016 Aug 25, 9:13pm  

What if we old muslims?
Or even middle age muslims?

Sharingmyintelligencewiththedumbasses says

Perhaps if you new muslims, you wouldn't be so judgemental and full of hate.

46   Y   2016 Aug 25, 9:15pm  

Let em have one tit and one lip showing so we can tell which of the 54 google flavors of ill-patterned chromosones they have...

Rashomon says

Let them wear what they want to wear. It isn't a fight with any upside

47   Y   2016 Aug 25, 9:17pm  

Which explains why we are all not planting roadbombs trying to take ourselves out...

Rashomon says

It is their belief that their beauty should be something only their husband gets to see.

48   Y   2016 Aug 25, 9:20pm  

It's called dressing so as not to scare your kids right into a foster home...

Rashomon says

Hindu women are generally fully clothed when at the beach. It's called dressing modestly in a conservative society

49   mell   2016 Aug 25, 9:20pm  

Rew says

That apply to birth control and gay wedding cakes too?

Seriously, legislating on what people are wearing? Beyond basic public decency laws that seems asinine. What next? You going to tell me what I can read too?

It makes total sense. Most countries do not allow cloaked public gatherings/protests for obvious security reasons. In this case it is a symbol of brutal female oppression in the view of those countries that implement those laws. You can be of different opinion, but it makes total sense in the context. Regardless of whether I would legislate it the same way or not, it's pretty easy to follow. and really doesn't hamper anyone's freedom. You can still wear what you want at home, or at a private beach.

Rashomon says

I spent a long time travelling around India. Hindu women are generally fully clothed when at the beach.

And they can do so wherever they are from, just not in France at the public beach. Again, no controversy here. Respect the laws of the land, wherever you go. If not, pack your stuff and go back. It's called cultural differences.

50   Rew   2016 Aug 25, 10:48pm  

mell says

Regardless of whether I would legislate it the same way or not, it's pretty easy to follow. and really doesn't hamper anyone's freedom. You can still wear what you want at home, or at a private beach.

Habbits, kasaya, kipa, clerical clothing, mormon suit tie name tag : all must be banned. They all have histories of oppression, radicalism, and sorted histories with the treatment of women. Displaying these symbols is embracing that legacy.

Hoodies, sunglasses, large caps : all banned as they hide ones features and cause a security risk.

No, it is not easy to follow. They will not go into public, mixed sex areas, without being modestly covered.

OMG! ISIS Started in America in the 1900s! Women oppressors!

51   OneTwo   2016 Aug 26, 3:48am  

mell says

And they can do so wherever they are from, just not in France at the public beach. Again, no controversy here. Respect the laws of the land, wherever you go. If not, pack your stuff and go back. It's called cultural differences.

You mean respect the bans of a couple of local authorities? Bans that clearly make no sense and are obviously discriminatory?

What are you offended by? Is it because most press pictures use images of black burkinis? Are the colourful ones equally offensive to you? These are no more than tops and bottoms made of material more suited to water. What exactly is the problem? You go around the world and you can see women covered up. I mentioned India, but I've seen it a lot in China and Japan as well. They do it for sun protection, but are still covered up, and aren't harming anyone. Come on, seriously, what harm are burkinis doing?

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