Strip Off!

It is true Petra that very rare to see the burka in this country. Of course many people, and I don't mean you, mistake the niqab for a burka. If you google 'burka' you invariably gets pictures of the niqab.

Anya Yes it really does make the point. I like the two guys sun bathing in their wet suits. (Or motobike leathers)

I do not like full face covering. But head scarfs can look good.
What price Liberté, égalité, fraternité

A nun wears a habit through her own choice. She is not being held under some man's thumb.

There's a difference. Think about it.

Where is the picture of the woman being forced to uncover at gunpoint?

Interesting possibility

OK, they were armed
www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/burkini-ban-uk-muslims-beach-swimwear-france-arrests-hijab-brighton-beach-a7209031.html

The photograph of officers armed with handguns, batons and pepper spray standing round as the woman removed a blue headscarf and matching top went viral on social media on 23 August.
When asked what the Muslim Council of Britain thought of the measure, one of its spokepeople said: "The French authorities are in good company: the only other people forcing women to change their clothing at gun point are Daesh [Isis]."

I cant work out whether the women want to wear the burka or not.

Are they under the mens' thumbs or not?
Or some of each.

I don't know, obieone, but whether it's their own choice, that of their menfolk or half and half, women who wish to cover up in public aren't going to venture onto any French beaches in future and their children will miss out.

Well, of course they were armed! Wouldn't you want hem to be? I know I bloody would be glad to see it if I was there again.

And anyway, those cote d'azure beaches are them jewel in France's tourist crown. Why shouldn't they keep to their Western European code for beachwear? If you were dining at the Ritz would you want other diners to wear jeans and t-shirts?

I will now be accused of racism. But it's not that. At first I was up in arms about it, imagining what I would say to the policemen if I was on the beach and saw it happening. But I've given it some thought. It is multi-faceted.

And what about the future of young Muslim girls in France. Are they going to be made to feel they mustn't integrate into the society they will be living their lives in? Spare a thought for them.

Whatever the ins and outs of all this, and there seem to be many from a french point of view,why burkinis on a beach, but not a burka in the high street?

At the moment, if I have got it right, a burka can be worn so long as without the face part,as the face part is banned.

At the end of the day, France can do what France wants now the niqab case was won at the Supreme Court.

They also calim to have majority support from the french public. France likes to keep itself secular.

I dont think that they are acting very wisely or fair though, I dont think.

Yes, they do seem to be anti-secular. But why do they still have statues of Jesus at the roadsides? And they are sill a very Catholic country. Doesn't seem to make a lot of sense.

It could be that they are just trying to protect the look of their beaches from a tourist point of view. And maybe the horrific recent terrorist attacks do have something to do with it.

Not sure if we can blame them there. Tbh.

No! Not "anti-secular! They seem to want to be secular!

Jings - I agree with you.
But it's a very complex issue. Most women seem to dislike the ban from a feminist point of view. But I agree because of the atmosphere of fear that the mostly Muslim terrorists have created. The French govt. have to take a stand.
Some quibble, saying but the terrorists were of french nationality - yes, but they were Muslims.
I won't say more, I can't avoid getting into the 'racist' debate.

Has the ban been suspended temporarily or overturned?

The news item I read said it had been overturned.

A French court has ruled against the burkini ban implemented by seaside town Villeneuve-Loubet after mounting backlash, say various reports.

It's been suspended for that particular town. Final decision to follow.

Interesting times. Maybe not in a good way.

according to the Beeb

I think the French are asking for trouble with this ban (I.e. an attack like the one on a Beach in Tunisia. I agree that people should not be allowed to cover their faces , as with the burka, in a public place , but as far as I can make out the burkini doesn't do this . I would be on the beach in a tee shirt and cut off trousers, like many posters have said. I dont agree with women being forced to dress in a particular way by men, but some Muslim women choose to wear the hijab ( e.g. Nadia Hussain of bake off fame).Nuns choose to wear the habit, but originally that must have been invented for a similar purpose as the burka ??

I can't believe anybody can think that it is ok to get a woman to remove her clothing on a beach just because it doesn't fit the "Nice" image. It is an attack on woman's right to choose not to uncover. I bet if a man was sitting in his suit on the beach, not a word would have been said. I am all for public safety, understand the French are scared but this sort of knee-jerk reaction is going to cause more social discontent rather than unity which is what Muslims and non-Muslims need right now.

As I said - multi faceted.

One of which is the fact that Nice very recently suffered a night of unspeakable horror.

Yes, it certainly did suffer a terrible night of unspeakable horror but not by a woman covering her body in something she thinks makes her look decent rather than nearly naked and almost indecent with what some of the women wear. Let's hope the overturning of the decision by the courts is a long lasting one.

I just think it is an oxymoron which I find very odd:

'Strip off your clothes to respect good morals? on the beach.'

I think the French are understandably jittery and worried after the terrible events in their country, but I think their attitude of intolerance may be contributing to the situation.

Surely education of their young people is the way forward? Educating boys and young men to respect girls and young women whatever they are wearing; educating young women to have self-respect and confidence to be whatever they want to be, to wear whatever they want to wear, whether it be Western or Muslim dress. To be proud to be French whatever your origins. It will take a long time, but this is not the way forward imo.