Nice has added its famous beaches to the list of resort areas where the burkini is banned. Like the ban on the veil, it is hard to see how such bans are not openly discriminatory towards Muslims. I fail to understand the rationale for such a ban, particularly when many people now adopt full covering (especially for child) to protect against the damaging sun rays.
The ban prohibits apparel that “overtly manifests adherence to a religion at a time when France and places of worship are the target of terrorist attacks.” That is a rather bizarre rationale. Nice is defending religion by banning religious-based clothing? The reference to the recent attacks seems to struggle to show that this move is a visceral, retaliatory action taken against an entire class of people based on their religion.
There are now 15 towns that have adopted the discriminatory policy, including film festival host-city Cannes.
Nice’s deputy mayor Christian Estrosi did not improve that appearance with his letter to Prime Minister Manuel Valls on Tuesday that “hiding the face or wearing a full-body costume to go to the beach is not in keeping with our ideal of social relations.” Since when does your “ideal of social relations” trump deep-seated religious beliefs?
What do you think?