Court in France states that the religious nature of the burkini and its implication for women’s rights make it unfit for public areas
France’s highest court ruled against “burkinis” at public swimming facilities on Tuesday, but did not crack down on public toplessness for women.
France’s Council of State, the highest administrative court in the country, ruled that allowing the burkini swimwear — a full-length, modest swimsuit worn by Muslim women — would violate the nation’s secular governance and laws against religious influence.
Not long after the ban was lifted, it was reinstated by Grenoble’s administrative tribunal. The Council of State’s decision on the issue has been anticipated for weeks. The burkini had previously been legalized by the city of Grenoble in May 2021, along with topless swimming, after outcry from residents.
The Council of State overturned lower court rulings that allowed the burkini, stating that the religious nature of the garment and the implications it has for women’s rights make it unfit for public pools.
France, the birthplace of the bikini, has for years struggled with its standards on women’s swimwear. In 2016, the swimsuits became controversial following an Islamic extremist attack on the city of Nice, France. Towns began banning the burkini, with police officers fining Muslim women found wearing them who refused to remove some of their clothes or leave the beach.
France is not alone in the growing conversation about swimwear and lack thereof. Nudity laws banning topless women at the beach have been challenged and sometimes overturned across the United States.
Sports illustrated swimsuit model halima aden talks wearing a hijab, “Burkini”: I’m so incredibly grateful.”
A Nantucket, Massachusetts proposal titled “Gender Equality on Beaches” allowing anyone to go topless on beaches was passed last month at the annual town meeting.
The amendment read: “In order to promote equality for all persons, any person shall be allowed to be topless on any public or private beach” in town.”
The by-law, proposed by seventh-generation Nantucket resident Dorothy Stover, was passed with a 327-242 vote by the Gender Equality on Beaches, according to WCVB. The next step is for the measure now to be approved by the state attorney general’s office.
We all talk about giving women the choice to choose for themselves on how they wish to dress; and then we have politicians in the cradle of freedom banning muslim women who are “WOMEN” from dressing the way they are pleased.
Women are allowed to come out topless; but if they wish to cover themselves , they are banned from that. How is this ideology acceptable ?!