Anger is Building Online as France Continues to Outlaw Burkinis in More Towns
Recently, cities across France have begun banning burkinis. Five have implemented bans and three are working on it. If you don’t know what a burkini is, don’t feel bad; it is a long-sleeved dress-style swimsuit worn by Muslim women and it isn’t very common as it is. If you’re a regular person spending time with friends and family on a beach, you probably aren’t in the business of critiquing the swimwear worn by the woman three foldable chairs over from you.
Unless, of course, you’re Prime Minister Manuel Valls, who called these swimsuits “the enslavement of women.” To demonstrate his commitment to letting women be free to make their own choices, he is spearheading the bans. If your cognitive dissonance radar is going off right now, you’re not alone. Women have been speaking out against these bans for a few weeks now, but as more and more cities in France move to ban the swimwear, the anger is reaching new heights online.
In response to quotes like this…
“France does not lock away a woman’s body.” -Marine Le Pen, in support of burkini bans: https://t.co/Beo4ISUZKd pic.twitter.com/KDdBqCiVHJ
— New York Times World (@nytimesworld) August 18, 2016
…women and whistle-blowers are saying things like this:
“But we will lock out women’s bodies if they’re covered. To teach them it’s bad to lock out women’s bodies.” https://t.co/jePI7Vlx9P
— Hend Amry (@LibyaLiberty) August 18, 2016
@nytimesworld are they banning wetsuits too?
— nycorso (@ttownorso) August 18, 2016
@nytimesworld But then shouldnt individuals decide how much they want to show? How is that freedom? Aren’t French being hypocritical here?
— Hayat Esfandiyar (@hayat5001) August 18, 2016
The sentiments are being widely shared.
Here’s what you look like when you try to argue that a free society can’t tolerate long sleeves on women’s swimsuits pic.twitter.com/EIf3nt4omJ
— Hend Amry (@LibyaLiberty) August 18, 2016
If a “Burkini” threatens your country’s political values, then your country is far more fragile and troubled than you imagine.
— Abdul-Latif Halimi (@MrHalimi) August 18, 2016
Freedom of Expression is two way streets. Burkini or Bikini is personal choices.
Why the double standards?— М (@SpongeBobCatz) August 18, 2016
@LibyaLiberty @nytimesworld making a woman wear something else when she wants to wear a Burka is like making her wear one when she doesn’t
— Fred. (@freeloosedirt) August 18, 2016
Some are pointing out that there were once bans on two-piece swimsuits on many beaches throughout the world. Others are hosting calm discussions that highlight double standards. Hend Amry is especially active on Twitter.
@yearning4d_sky Even If a woman wore it to please her spouse it’s not legislatable. Same for women who wear a bikini for same reason.
— Hend Amry (@LibyaLiberty) August 18, 2016
Still others are making note of some reticence from certain categories of feminists.
to be very honest the lack of support and outrage i’m seeing from non-muslim feminists is painful to say the least https://t.co/Tvs3EYZAG6
— sarah hagi (@geekylonglegs) August 18, 2016
This is an important moment for feminism. No government can or should dictate what women wear. https://t.co/YO8oy4wq7J
— Beth Schacter (@bethshax) August 18, 2016
Other prominent Western feminists are speaking out:
Do I like what the “burkini” represents, that women’s bodies are tempting & shameful. No. But I don’t ban everything I dislike.
— Jill Filipovic (@JillFilipovic) August 18, 2016
In spite of all of the conversation, cities are moving forward in legislating swimwear. It takes more than some tweets to reverse legislation, but all fires do start with a spark.
[image via screengrab]
