Women Worldwide Celebrate As France Overturns Its Burkini Ban
Is there anything more stressful than bikini season? While some of us opt for barely there bikinis, others prefer a more modest style of dress, and even regular one-piece and full coverage swimsuits won’t be enough. That’s where the swimsuit dubbed the “burkini” comes in. Created by an Australian who wanted to give women the ability to feel comfortable on the beach, the swimsuit was embraced the world over by Muslim women hoping to enjoy themselves a beach vacay. But earlier this month, the suits caused an uproar in France, and were banned due to the fear of “extreme Islam.” Pretty dumb, right?
Well, thankfully, cooler heads prevailed, and the ban was overturned by France’s highest courts today. The world was rightfully outraged as photos of a Muslim woman being forced by armed policemen to remove her swimsuit on the beach in Nice earlier this week made mega waves. Obviously, we were shocked that France believed that a woman’s right to dress how she wants could be illegal, and the fact that police forced a modest woman to strip publicly was shocking. Many also rightfully pointed out that on the same beaches where this ban was in effect, Christian nuns in their full habits (including head coverings and below the knee dresses) were not forced to strip out of their habits and were completely left alone.
The overturning of the ban should be a sigh of relief for women the world over, as it signals that women of all religions and personal tastes will continue to have the ability to wear as much (or as little) as they want in public. The court also announced today that any woman who previously was given a fine for wearing her swimsuit on the beach could fight to overturn the fine. While the government in France expects all regions with this ban to comply to the law, Corsica, an island that’s between France and Italy, says they will not, as they believe that the burkini is the cause of some racial tension in the region (but truthfully, we’re guessing that the tension is caused by locals ¯\_(ツ)_/¯).
How do you feel about full-coverage swimwear? Tell us @BritandCo!
(Photo via Matt King/Getty)