French officials have banned a Muslim woman from swimming in a public pool while wearing a swimsuit that covers her entire body.
The woman had swum in July in the pool in Emerainville, east of Paris, in the "burkini" - a loose-fitting garment resembling a wetsuit with a hood.
But staff stopped her from swimming in August, citing hygiene concerns.
It comes as the government examines ways to limit burka use after the president said they reduced dignity.
France is home to Western Europe's largest population of Muslims, with about 5 million living there.
That type of suit does not exist in the Koran Mayor Alain Kelyor
At the pool, staff "reminded [the woman] of the rules that apply in all (public) swimming pools which forbid swimming while clothed," pool management official Daniel Guillaume was quoted by AFP as saying.
The woman was a French convert to Islam, and had bought the swimsuit in Dubai so that she would not have to uncover herself to go swimming.
"Quite simply, this is segregation," she said, according to Le Parisien newspaper, which identified her only as Carole.
"I will fight to try to change things. And if I see that the battle is lost, I cannot rule out leaving France."
Emerainville Mayor Alain Kelyor said "all this has nothing to do with Islam", adding that the swimsuit was "not an Islamic swimsuit" and that "that type of suit does not exist in the Koran".
'Prisoners behind netting'
In June the French National Assembly appointed 32 MPs to a six-month fact-finding mission to look at ways of restricting burka use.
In a major policy speech that month, President Nicolas Sarkozy said the burka - a garment covering women from head to toe - reduced them to servitude and undermined their dignity.
"We cannot accept to have in our country women who are prisoners behind netting, cut off from all social life, deprived of identity," Mr Sarkozy told a special session of parliament in Versailles.
In 2004, France banned the Islamic headscarves in its state schools.
Emerainville Mayor Alain Kelyor said "all this has nothing to do with Islam", adding that the swimsuit was "not an Islamic swimsuit" and that "that type of suit does not exist in the Koran".
Ha, I just can't imagine anyone saying something so stupid.
Also, if one is not suppose to swim clothed, does that mean it's a nude swimming pool? Because the burkini et al aren't street clothes, they're just swimsuits with lots more fabric.
Subhannallah their policies are getting more ridicolous! Dont the French govt have more important things to solve than discusss women's wardrobe!
Dear Allah. I pray that whoever reads this message shall have your comfort, joy, peace, love, & guidance. I may not know their troubles, but you do. Please keep protecting us. Ameen.
I wonder what is going happen next. I suppose the French government need to find something more productive to do rather than telling people how to dress.
But staff stopped her from swimming in August, citing hygiene concerns.
Yeah like what?
That type of suit does not exist in the Koran
Mayor Alain Kelyor
Hahahaha...
I was looking at myself talking to myself and I realized this conversation...I was having with myself looking at myself was a conversation with myself that I needed to have with myself.
what unusual bull is this.. what about people who are prune to skin cancer and have to wear suits such as this
to protect their bodies from the harmful rays.. are they also prisoners? or just limited to those oppressed women? so oppressed indeed, for even when they speak of their choice, they shut em and tell em, that they are oppressed whether they agree or not..
sob7an Allah..
Last edited by Muezzin; 08-13-2009 at 06:45 PM.
Reason: Removed generalising
Text without context is pretext If your opponent is of choleric temperament, seek to irritate him
That is ridiculous. Look at what professional swimmers wear - is there that much difference?
She should definitely be allowed to use her 'burkini'.
Peace
I don't know, pools in here certainly setup all kind of rules, which seem to vary from place to place, banning all kinds of stuff from jewelry to sport shorts.
we shud start banning french women from wearing western clothes in muslim countries, and force them to wear hijab, we should also make it obligatory for their women to shave their arm pits before they visit a Muslim country.
That type of suit does not exist in the Koran
Mayor Alain Kelyor
salaam
what a stupid thing to say lol -
anyway as usual this is going against what France stands for.
peace
Do you think the pious don't sin?
They merely:
Veiled themselves and didn't flaunt it
Sought forgiveness and didn't persist
Took ownership of it and don't justify it
And acted with excellence after they had erred - Ibn al-Qayyim
The real question is, does the swimming pool also ban swimming shorts for men, I mean those longer loose ones you almost always see on the beach?
In my neighborhood several swimming pools have banned those as well, also citing hygiene reasons. So you are actually forced to wear one of those tight swimming 'trunks'.
I might be somewhat more sympathetic to this swimming pool if they had a ban on all loose clothing.
Hmm I guess we should ban scuba divers from swimming underwater with their full water suits due to safety concerns... Lol what a bunch of nutties.
What safety concern is there with wearing a full swim suit. loool..wow.
Don't get me wrong, this decision is silly for many reasons, morally and commercially.
Commercially it's stupid to potentially alienate a segment of your customer base (i.e. Muslims) in this way. Though to be fair, it's the mayor causing potential alienation with his interpretations of Islamic requirements rather than the pool staff, who are emphasising that a Rule's a Rule, and it's Nothing Personal etc.
As for health and safety - it can be a pretty crazy part of law.
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That type of suit does not exist in the Koran
Lol what a bunch of nutties.
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