Strip Off!

She said that it is to cover her 'bad hair'

I bet she has lovely hair

Perhaps it doesn't absorb the heat like black does.

Why does Nadia choose to do it? Anyone brave enough to ask her when she comes on Gransnet for the webchat?

Oh yes, so they do
Is grey more flattering?

(it does nothing for me, grey I mean)

(last sentence apropos of nothing at all)

Thwe French are the ones that have dared to stand up to IS. Hence them becoming targets.

The nuns thing is ridiculous. Nuns choose to wear the uniform when they decide to join up.

Interesting that you don't seem to see the black robed nuns in European countries. They seem to be more into grey dresses.

some Muslim women choose to wear the hijab ( e.g. Nadia Hussain of bake off fame)
Yes, she does and she said her father was horrified when she decided to do that, as many women in her family don't wear one.

The image of two armed policemen telling a woman in a burka to remove clothing was shocking.
It is easy to understand that a secular county like France, reeling from attacks by Daesh supporting people wants to assert its identity. Attempting to ban the burkini isn't the way to go and I'm relieved its been found to be illegal.

It's led to some great images on social media. My favourite is the photograph (or photoshot) of a group of nuns in full garb, paddling in the sea.

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.

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.

As I said - multi faceted.

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

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.

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 ??

according to the Beeb

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

Interesting times. Maybe not in a good way.

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

The news item I read said it had been overturned.

Has the ban been suspended temporarily or overturned?

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.