Is this the uniform of an Islamic extremist? Or is it simply a bathing suit for a Muslim woman? Photo: Shutterstock
After the devastating terrorist attacks in France, the Mayor of Cannes, David Lisnard, has banned burkinis from beaches. Burkinis, as the name implies, are full-body bathing suits worn by some Muslim women.
“Beachwear manifesting religious affiliation in an ostentatious way, while France and its religious sites are currently the target of terrorist attacks, could create the risk of disturbances to public order,” said the ruling.
According to the BBC, Lisnard called burkinis a “symbol of Islamic extremism” and worried that “it might spark fights after several terrorist attacks rocked France in recent months.” And while the intent may be good, he’s got one very major thing wrong, just like so many others. Islamic extremism and Muslim are not the same thing. Saying they are is like saying that, because the Ku Klux Klan are Christian, everyone who is Christian is the KKK. It just doesn’t make any sense. If Islamic extremists wore burkinis, then it would make sense, and we could put the burkini in the same category as the white hood, but that’s not the case.
“I simply forbid a uniform that is the symbol of Islamic extremism,” said Lisnard. “We live in a common public space, there are rules to follow. ”
Like I said, though, Lisnard may simply be trying to avoid public disturbances–which, given the current climate in France, is entirely understandable. The fine for wearing a burkini in Cannes is just under $50, and those in burkinis “will first be asked to change into different attire or leave.”
France also banned the burka and the niqab back in 2011. Of course, not everyone agrees with the Mayor’s decision. “The mayor is basically saying anyone who wears a burqini is a terrorist. He is creating tension between the state and the Muslim community at a time when he should be doing everything to avoid it,” Ben Mohamed, a member of the Southern Federation of Muslims, told The Local.
