The Burkini Debate: Muslim Modesty vs. French Norms

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/27/opinion/the-burkini-debate-muslim-modesty-vs-french-norms.html

Version 0 of 1.

To the Editor:

Re “Backlash Wells Up as the French Police Enforce ‘Burkini’ Bans” (front page, Aug. 25):

Modesty, the degree to which someone covers up, is a personal choice. There’s something ironic and insupportable about the French ordinance to get people to take their clothes off at the beach. How does wearing a burkini infringe on the human rights of others? I’ve seen Amish women swimming in their ankle-length dresses. Would we also ask them to take their clothes off?

Vive la différence. Whether it’s St. Tropez or Coney Island, a woman should decide for herself how much she wants to cover up.

Now that more people are concerned about skin cancer and are wearing protective clothing at the beach anyway, think of the burkini as the ultimate in beach cover-ups. No need for sunscreen.

DEBRA BANERJEE

Boca Raton, Fla.

To the Editor:

Re “The Swimsuit as Security Threat,” by Asma T. Uddin (Op-Ed, Aug. 24):

When one goes to a country unlike our own, one normally feels obliged to follow its norms and basic rules of behavior and comportment. If we are not comfortable doing this, we usually don’t go to that country.

To add perspective to the burkini debate in the United States, imagine going to a fundamentalist Arabic country and going topless on the local beach or violating one of its behavioral norms. Most certainly, it would not be appreciated, or tolerated.

I recall reading about a Frenchwoman living in a French town with a heavily Muslim community and being constantly harassed on the street and called a prostitute by Muslim men for wearing short sleeves. Is that fair? I think not. Why should someone be constrained to follow someone else’s rules in her own country?

Frankly, this entire debate should be viewed not from the narrow issue of swimwear, but from the larger standpoint of integration into a society. France is France, not an Arabic country. As such, wearing the burkini in France is indeed a provocation, as is demanding a special day at the pool only for Muslim women, praying on the streets, imposing a special halal Muslim diet in the French schools, and so on.

If people are unhappy with the lifestyle, values and norms in France, why do they stay in the country? Shouldn’t they adopt the practices and way of life in their host country — in this case, France — and not the other way around?

MICHAEL CLAGGETT

Paris

To the Editor:

As a feminist, I find it supremely sad to read article after article about a so-called issue that should be no issue. If what women wear, or don’t, brings the “soul of France” into question, as Marine Le Pen, the leader of the extreme-right National Front, has argued, that soul is extremely vacuous. Women are now being almost forcibly stripped and fined on France’s beaches.

I call on all feminists to adopt the burkini and the hijab in support of our Muslim sisters. And I call on the media and politicians to focus on the very real major issues of our time.

ELIZABETH EASTMOND

New York

To the Editor:

A few years ago, I took my family to a public pool in Lyon, France. Imagine my surprise when the lifeguard blew his whistle at me because I was not wearing a swimsuit. I was sporting a skirted tankini. I explained that it was a swimsuit but was met with a dubious look.

Moments later, my son heard the whistle because board shorts (all the rage in the United States) were deemed unhygienic and not allowed. I didn’t feel discriminated against; I just accepted the difference and bought new swimsuits. Assimilation is the key in a country like France.

JANET OLSEN LABRUYÈRE

Oak Park, Ill.

To the Editor:

There is much to love about France, but recent actions and discourse addressing burkinis have left me sad and ashamed. Why does no one call out the French government for such blatant hypocrisy and sloppy problem-solving? France claims to practice strict laïcité, but more than half of the national holidays in France are Christian ones.

Politicians here focus too much on Muslim women’s attire and not enough on male terrorists. If French politicians are truly concerned about the oppression of Muslim women, they might consider that the burkini unambiguously identifies those whom they feel need their help. If one believes that conservative Muslim women are being oppressed, then one might offer information and resources rather than inflict shame and exclusion.

It is very clear that powerful people with political leanings similar to those of the National Front are trying to, often successfully, make life difficult for Muslims in France.

RUTH MILLER

Nice, France