12 August 2009

Pool bans Muslim woman in 'burqini'

Officials in the Paris suburb of Emerainville said they let the woman swim in the pool in July wearing the burqini, designed for Muslim women who want to swim without revealing their bodies.

But when she returned in August they decided to apply hygiene rules and told her she could not swim if she insisted on wearing the garment, which resembles a wetsuit with built-in hood. Pool staff "reminded her of the rules that apply in all (public) swimming pools which forbid swimming while clothed", said Daniel Guillaume, an official with the organisation that manages pools in the area. [ABC News] Read more

French woman threatens legal action over 'burkini' ban A 35-year-old French convert to Islam has threatened legal action after she was evicted from a public pool for wearing a "burkini" – a veil, trouser and tunic covering that she said allowed her to swim while preserving her modesty. The case revolving around the pool east of Paris has reopened France's bitter row about how Muslim women can dress. [Guardian] Read more See Also: [Religion Dispatches] Read