France and the ban on burkini
French mayors are drawing international anger for banning the burkini, an all-encompassing swimsuit worn by a small minority of Muslim women. Here's what is at the core of the controversy.
What are burkinis?
They’re a recent retail invention, not a religious requirement in any ｃountry. Around a decade ago, an Australian woman of Lebanese origin created a swimsuit for Muslim women designed to permit them to keep their bodies covered while working as lifeguards on Australian beaches. Her design was dubbed the burkini or burqini.
Burkinis cover the head, torso and limbs much like a wetsuit with a hood. The word conflates the words bikini and burqa, a full-body covering with only a mesh screen for the eyes. Burqas are worn primarily in Afghanistan.
Burkinis are rarely seen in France, where you’re more likely to spot women sunbathing topless. International sales reportedly have soared in response to French efforts to restrict their public display.
Why ban them?
France is both exceptionally secular and unusually fearful of Islamic extremism following last month’s truck attack in Nice that killed 86 people and slaying of a Catholic priest during Mass in Normandy, both claimed by the Islamic State group.
While the burkini’s defenders have argued that the wearing of the garment has nothing to do with promoting bloodshed, mayors have ｃountered that wearing the outfits could undermine public order by making other beachgoers angry or afraid.
The French, who famously ban baggy men’s swim trunks from their pools, argue that excessively large women’s swimwear poses a similar risk to public hygiene.
Prime Minister Manuel Valls says burkinis represent the enslavement of women and puts his opposition in the context of France’s promotion of women’s rights worldwide.
But France’s predominant argument is that the burkini violates France’s century-old commitment to promote secularism in public life. The first article of the French constitution enshrines this principle, while polls show French people are among the least religious in the world. France repeatedly has cited this secularist agenda when targeting Muslim practices that are seen to push religion too far into mainstream society.
Backlash on ban
French Muslims say they feel stigmatised by the restrictions, while some police men have complained that the new rules are too vague or problematic to be enforced.
Images this week that showed the Nice police appearing to instruct a burkini clad beachgoer to remove her tunic stirred indignation online. Human rights groups petitioned France’s highest administrative authority, the Council of State, which plans to issue its ruling on Friday on the burkini ban.
The policy is raising tensions within French President Francois Hollande’s leftist government too.
It's politics
Critics say the anti-burkini crusade reflects a far right, anti-Muslim agenda that could prove to be a vote-winner in France’s 2017 presidential election.
Many mayors to the fore on the issue are members of former President Nicolas Sarkozy’s conservative Republicans party. Sarkozy, who is seeking re-election, said on Wednesday- “We don’t imprison women behind fabric.”
Burkinis pose a dilemma to the French left, a staunch defender of women’s rights. The Prime Minister and Women’ Affairs Minister support the ban because they say burkinis oppress women the Education Minister and Health Minister say the authorities shouldn’t dictate what women wear.
A less secular world
France’s stringent secularism is exceptional in the western world, and much of the rest of the world is struggling to understand France’s actions. Protesters rallied on Thursday against the French ban in London and Berlin.
Burkinis are sold by major retailers in Britain. Elsewhere in Europe, burkinis are rare but no municipal ban exists.
Not yet anyway. In Belgium, the right-leaning Flemish N-VA party doesn’t want burkinis on public beaches, calling it a sign of oppressing women.
The Muslim fashion
Women in Muslim ｃountries wear a range of swimwear, from bikinis to full-length garments, reflecting their personal tastes and understanding of their faith.
Burkini wear has generated a debate in Morocco, which has a large tourism industry. In Egypt, some resorts, elite clubs and restaurants ban veils entirely and the wearing of burkini style outfits in swimming pools.
Religious conservatives, who have been gaining ground, say such bans perpetuate a colonised mentality by enforcing western inspired freedoms and styles.
Vocabulary Words:
1.Secular - (adj.) not connected with spiritual or religious matters
2. Undermine - (verb) to make something, especially somebody’s confidence or authority, gradually weaker or less effective
3. Enslavement - (noun) the act of making somebody/something completely depend on something so that they cannot manage without it
4. Predominant - (adj.) most obvious or noticeable
5. Staunch - (adj.) strong and loyal in your opinions and attitude
Discussion Questions:
1. What is your stand regarding this issue? Are you up for or against the banning of burkinis? Why?
2. What stereotypes about people from different ｃountries are you aware of?
3. Do you think preventing people from wearing traditional clothing is a form of racism? Why?
4. In what ways is racism and discrimination a problem in society?
5. How does race effect our interactions with each other?
