13 August 2016

French court upholds Cannes burkini ban

The French resort of Cannes won court backing for its "burkini ban" on Saturday as a judge refused to overturn its decision to forbid Muslim women from wearing the full-body swimsuit.

Local authorities in the Riviera city, home to the famous Cannes film festival, moved to ban burkinis from beaches at the end of July. The nearby resort of Villeneuve-Loubet followed suit on Saturday.

Three women backed by the Collective Against Islamophobia in France (CCIF) challenged the Cannes decision in court on Friday, saying it was illegal and calling for it to be suspended.

But a court in Nice rejected the request, saying the move was legal under French law forbidding people from "invoking their religious beliefs to skirt common rules regulating relations between public authorities and private individuals". [AFP] Read more