The French Supreme Court ruled this week against wearing a "burqa" (burqa-bikini) in public pools for religious reasons, arguing that it violates the principle of government neutrality towards religion.
While the number of women who wear burkini in France is relatively small, the garment finds its way into the center of many political debates in the country.
Interior Minister Gerald Dermanin hailed the ruling as a "victory for secularism", while Muslim women described the ruling as one that put their faith and body as a target, and as one based on a misguided and archaic conception of Islam.
A woman in a burkini on the beach in Marseille, Photo: AP
The city of Grenoble, led by Mayor Eric Fuel, voted last month in favor of allowing women to wear burkini in public pools, following a campaign by local activists.
The city also voted in favor of allowing women to swim without tops (topless), as part of a general moderation of swimwear laws.
Senior district officials blocked the city’s decision, claiming it undermined France’s secular principles.
The court, as stated, supported the district's decision, saying that the vote in Grenoble was done to "please religious demands" and that it "violates the neutrality of the public service".
The dress code for public pools in France is very strict, and the authorities claim that it is for hygiene reasons: swimming caps are mandatory, and wide and tight-fitting clothing, as well as surf suits, are generally prohibited.
"Not everyone is the same"
The mayor of Grenoble, Fuel, argued that women should be able to dress as they please, and express their faith in public pools - like on the street.
Opponents of Burkini - right and left - have argued that the garment symbolizes female oppression and is an opening for Islamic extremism.
Six years ago, a court in France lifted a ban on wearing a burkini, amid outrageous cases of beach inspectors demanding that Muslim women undress.
Fatima Bennett, of the Muslim women's group Lallab, said the ruling was a "clear step backwards" that would further isolate women who choose to cover their heads and bodies in public.
While there are indeed Muslim women whose men in their lives force them to be covered in this way, she said, "not all Muslim women are the same. The authorities look at us as one piece."
She blamed the ruling on the "fixation of politicians who want to control the body of the Muslim woman."
At the same time, the decision of the Grenoble municipality on the permit to swim without outerwear was not brought up for discussion at all.
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