After beach confrontations, French are debating burkini ban By Ben Quinn, The Guardian, adapted by Newsela staff on 08.29.16 Word Count 771 This picture taken on August 19, 2016, shows the bylaw forbidding women to wear a burkini at the beach in Nice, France. Nice has become the latest French seaside resort to ban the burkini, the body-concealing Islamic swimsuit that has sparked heated debate in secular France. Photo: JEAN CHRISTOPHE MAGNENET/AFP/Getty Images Photographs are being published of French police enforcing the controversial burkini ban. They are forcing a woman on a beach to remove part of her clothing. Authorities in several French towns have passed bans on the burkini. The burkini is a kind of full-body swimwear used by Muslim women. It covers the body and head and maintains modest Islamic dress. The towns who passed the burkini ban said they were concerned about religious clothing in the wake of recent terrorist killings in the country. The images were taken in Nice on Tuesday and show police confronting the woman. At least four police officers are standing over her on the shore at the town s Promenade des Anglais. The area was the scene of last month s Bastille Day delivery truck attack. After the police arrive, she appears to remove a blue long-sleeved tunic. One of the officers appears to be taking notes or issuing an on-the-spot fine.
A Woman Was Also Fined In Cannes The photographs appeared at the same time as reports from a mother of two who had been fined on the beach in nearby Cannes. She had been wearing leggings, a tunic and a headscarf. Her ticket was seen by the French news agency AFP. It read that she was not wearing an outfit respecting good morals and secularism." Secularism is the belief that religion should not be a part of public affairs, education or the government. France takes secularism very seriously and has banned other types of religious clothing in schools like headscarves and Jewish skullcaps. I was sitting on a beach with my family, said the 34-year-old who gave only her first name, Siam. I was wearing a classic headscarf. I had no intention of swimming. Her Daughter Was Crying A witness to the scene, Mathilde Cousin, confirmed the confrontation. The saddest thing was that people were shouting go home,' some were applauding the police, she said. Her daughter was crying. Last week, Nice became the latest French resort to ban the burkini. The Nice ban uses language similar to the bans imposed earlier at other locations. It prohibits clothing that overtly manifests adherence to a religion at a time when France and places of worship are the target of terrorist attacks." Many of the terrorist attacks in France were carried out by people who claimed to be Muslim. Therefore, many French people are becoming afraid of Islam. The Nice ban refers specifically to the July 14 truck attack in the city that claimed 86 lives. It also refers to the murder 12 days later of a Catholic priest near the northern city of Rouen. Ban Has Triggered A Fierce Debate The ban by several towns was scheduled to come before France s highest administrative court last week. It is being appealed by the Human Rights League, a French NGO, which is challenging the decision by a lower court in Nice. The lower court upheld a ban on the outfit by the town of Villeneuve-Loubet. Villeneuve-Loubet, just west of Nice, was among the first of 15 towns to ban the burkini. The ban has triggered a fierce debate in France and elsewhere about the wearing of the full-body swimsuit, women s rights and secularism. A Corsican mayor has also banned burkinis in the middle of tensions on the island and violent clashes between villagers and three Muslim families. Fights at a beach in the town of Sisco earlier this month left four people injured. Eventually, riot police were brought in to
stop a crowd of 200 Corsicans. The townspeople were trying to march into an apartment building with a high population of people of North African origin, shouting this is our home." Many North Africans practice Islam and are Muslims. Police Investigation Underway A police investigation is underway to determine the cause of the violent fight. However, there has been no confirmation from authorities as to whether anyone on the beach was wearing a burkini at the time. Nevertheless, the local mayor, Ange-Pierre Vivoni, banned the garments, describing the measure as necessary to protect the population." A court in Nice ruled on Monday that the ban in Villeneuve-Loubet was necessary, appropriate and proportionate to prevent public disorder after a succession of attacks by Islamic extremists in France. The burkini was likely "to offend the religious convictions or (religious) non-convictions of other users of the beach." They also stated that the burkini might be looked at as a way to rebel against the community and create even more tension. The ruling by the state council, France s highest administrative court, will provide a legal guide for towns to follow around the country.
Quiz 1 In the section "Her Daughter Was Crying," Mathilde Cousin would be most likely to agree with which of the following statements? Burkinis are a danger to public safety because the police have to stop fights caused by women wearing them. The police are protecting the public from people wearing burkinis because they cause many public disturbances. Some people in France are discriminating against Muslims and banning them from wearing their traditional clothing. Most people in France have no issue with burkinis and believe Muslims should be able to wear their traditional clothing. 2 Which of the following MOST influenced the police in Nice who wrote the ticket? After many controversial court battles, French law is protecting the civil rights of people no matter what religion they practice. After beachwear has become more controversial and revealing, France is working to set a standard for public decency. After experiencing personal attacks from Muslim people, the people of Nice are working to establish peace. After experiencing terrorist attacks, many in France are fearful of, and are discriminating against, Muslims. 3 How do the viewpoints of Mathilde Cousin compare with the viewpoints of the Nice police? Mathilde Cousin felt that the burkini created a public safety issue, but the police did not think Siam was a danger. Mathilde Cousin felt sad and troubled about the treatment of Siam, but the police thought she should not appear in public in a burkini. Mathilde Cousin became angry at the treatment of Siam and her family, and the police felt great remorse for their actions. Mathilde Cousin was happy the police addressed the burkini on the beach, and the police felt conflicted about writing a ticket.
4 In which of the following sentences does the author acknowledge a differing point of view from those upheld by the French courts? France takes secularism very seriously and has banned other types of religious clothing in schools like headscarves and Jewish skullcaps. It is being appealed by the Human Rights League, a French NGO, which is challenging the decision by a lower court in Nice. The burkini was likely "to offend the religious convictions or (religious) nonconvictions of other users of the beach." They also stated that the burkini might be looked at as a way to rebel against the community and create even more tension.
Answer Key 1 In the section "Her Daughter Was Crying," Mathilde Cousin would be most likely to agree with which of the following statements? Burkinis are a danger to public safety because the police have to stop fights caused by women wearing them. The police are protecting the public from people wearing burkinis because they cause many public disturbances. Some people in France are discriminating against Muslims and banning them from wearing their traditional clothing. Most people in France have no issue with burkinis and believe Muslims should be able to wear their traditional clothing. 2 Which of the following MOST influenced the police in Nice who wrote the ticket? After many controversial court battles, French law is protecting the civil rights of people no matter what religion they practice. After beachwear has become more controversial and revealing, France is working to set a standard for public decency. After experiencing personal attacks from Muslim people, the people of Nice are working to establish peace. After experiencing terrorist attacks, many in France are fearful of, and are discriminating against, Muslims. 3 How do the viewpoints of Mathilde Cousin compare with the viewpoints of the Nice police? Mathilde Cousin felt that the burkini created a public safety issue, but the police did not think Siam was a danger. Mathilde Cousin felt sad and troubled about the treatment of Siam, but the police thought she should not appear in public in a burkini. Mathilde Cousin became angry at the treatment of Siam and her family, and the police felt great remorse for their actions. Mathilde Cousin was happy the police addressed the burkini on the beach, and the police felt conflicted about writing a ticket.
4 In which of the following sentences does the author acknowledge a differing point of view from those upheld by the French courts? France takes secularism very seriously and has banned other types of religious clothing in schools like headscarves and Jewish skullcaps. It is being appealed by the Human Rights League, a French NGO, which is challenging the decision by a lower court in Nice. The burkini was likely "to offend the religious convictions or (religious) nonconvictions of other users of the beach." They also stated that the burkini might be looked at as a way to rebel against the community and create even more tension.