Strip Off!

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.

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.

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]."

Interesting possibility

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

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.

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

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.

www.theguardian.com/world/french-burqa-and-niqab-ban

I am confused- what is difference- burka, hijab, niquab? I know one is a head covering, and one is a face covering, and not sure what the other one is- is it the whole body thing? Which is which? I see them all here in London.

Yes, gettingonabit, that is where France is very different from us in what is prohibited in the way of religious attire. I assume their fear is that such clothing aligns those wearing it with terrorism.
I had a young French girl from Normandy staying with us a few months ago and she was horrified to see women wearing the niqab in London as she had assumed it was illegal. If that is how the next French generation are being brought up to view things, then I fear such decisions may well bring about disaster.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_ban_on_face_covering

www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jul/01/france-burqa-ban-upheld-human-rights-court

..and niqabs, and other forms of muslim dress. Men wearing muslim dress too, and kids on way to mosque. Kids' school uniform comprises a black headscarf and long dress if wished.

Loads of burkas round here. UK city.

Anya
Yes I have. Egypt, Morroco, Tunisia, Turkey ( secular) i saw the Niqab in all of them, of course, but not the burka.

I must be the only poster who doesn't do Facebook/Twitter etc

This mace me smile

You've not travelled in Muslim countries then petra.

Nellie I saw that photo on FB too. It makes the point very clearly doesn't it?

Josephine Liptrott
Yesterday at 10:05 · London ·
(copied from FaceBook)

"Just to be absolutely clear, only ONE of these is illegal on French beaches."

Well, that would be interesting, wouldn't it!
A nun being threatened with pepper spray by armed police and forced to strip
And fined for not respecting good morals.

Does this mean that a nun can't have a wander down the beach in France?

ordering a woman at gunpoint to strip off to respect morals, then fining her?

If they want things to change this is not the way to go about it.

have a point

I think France has decided that they don't want the women-repressing aspects of a religion, on show in their country. Maybe they gave a point. It's their society.

She was only wearing a headscarf though, and they made her take her long-sleeved top off too.