Burkini: Flag of Radical Islam or Liberation for Women

Paris, the dream city of lovers, the capital of a country famous for its wine and cheese, is not only one of the world's tourist destinations but also one of the largest immigrant cities in the world. Under the sky of a city where Simone de Beauvoir and the women's liberation movement have walked and rooted in its streets, there are still women who fall victim to genital mutilation, are forced into arranged marriages, or even choose a covering under family pressure, abandoning their jobs and education. This is what remains hidden from the eyes of tourists or astonishes them when faced with this dream city. Paris can be considered a small city without its suburbs, where subcultures are rooted everywhere. It is also natural here that while walking in one neighborhood, the aroma of Indian food and drinks wafts through the air, while in another, the number of veiled women and men in traditional attire is significantly higher. Paris is the capital of a country that has the largest population of Muslims and Jews among all European countries. For years, neighborhoods in Paris have become centers for Muslims or immigrants from Muslim-majority countries, and their population has been increasing every year. However, after the wave of protests in 2005 in the suburbs of Paris and during the following year and a half, these areas have received special attention from politicians. The reason for this attention has been the numerous terrorist attacks whose perpetrators have identified themselves as Muslims or affiliated with radical Islamist groups. Despite repeated statements in public media and social networks that Islam and Muslims should not be blamed for these crimes, Muslims and mosques in these neighborhoods have faced hate attacks, and according to monitoring organizations, each time after terrorist attacks, these acts of violence have taken on a more serious and dangerous form. What usually remains unseen by the media and is often accepted as a reality, usually justified by 'cultural differences,' is the culture and unwritten laws prevailing in these neighborhoods. In these spaces, men and women are implicitly and even explicitly invited or forced to dress more conservatively or refrain from drinking alcohol. Female genital mutilation and forced marriages in these areas, as well as mandatory covering, restrictions on continuing education, or preventing employment, are social issues that associations and social activists are engaged in fighting against. Economic problems and the rise of religious extremism and nationalism that France, in general, and these marginalized groups, in particular, face, exacerbate these social harms and fuel social divides. Now, with the issue of the burkini and local authorities' orders to ban it on the beaches of their cities, public attention has once again turned to Islam and its followers. Burkini 'liberating'? When the news of the burkini's design by a Muslim Australian designer reached Paris, it was liberating news for women who spent their days and nights in the Muslim suburbs of Paris, believed in practical hijab, and each time witnessed the joy and play of others by the beach. Now with the burkini, a combination of a burqa and a bikini, they could also go to the beach alongside other women or enjoy time with their husbands, children, and other family members. The restrictive dress codes in French swimming pools are not a new issue. For example, wearing leggings with a swimsuit is prohibited, and wearing swimming caps is mandatory for everyone to maintain hygiene standards. Moreover, this is not the first time that clothing associated with Muslim women has made headlines. When, on October 11, 2010, the law banning face coverings and consequently the use of the niqab in public places in France was passed, the debate over women's right to choose their clothing type gained traction in the media. Some defended the right to choose clothing, while others viewed the niqab not as a Muslim woman's hijab but as a sign of political Islam. Others referred to it as a symbol of gender oppression, patriarchy, and the denial of ownership over one's body. In response to those who considered this type of clothing a dangerous imported commodity from countries leading in gender inequality, newly converted French Muslim women protested and clearly stated that this was their choice and not a sign of oppression or submission to a man who might have forced them. Although the number of these women did not exceed twenty, this small group managed to change some prejudices about women in burqas, veiled women, or Muslims and helped the public accept that clothing in Islam and for Muslim women has diverse and multiple meanings and concepts. However, six months later, when the law banning face coverings in public places came into effect and fines were issued for violations, Rachid Nekkaz, an Algerian-born businessman, announced that he would pay all these fines. He, who considers himself opposed to the niqab, stated that he 'defends not the covering of the face but the right of women to choose their clothing.' Feminist and egalitarian associations at that time, while defending laïcité as an important tool for ensuring gender equality, emphasized that to liberate women who are forced to appear in public with such coverings or anyone else who is an agent or victim of gender inequality, cultural activities and especially policies for integrating marginalized communities should be strengthened alongside enacting laws. However, the burkini was banned sooner than expected, not as a nationwide law, but due to orders issued by the mayors of some coastal cities in France. Now this order has been rejected by the highest legislative authority in France, and women can swim in all parts of France with this covering unless it contradicts the rules of swimming pools or private places. Nevertheless, the burkini, citizenship rights, Islam, and laïcité have become hot topics in the political and social arena. So much so that statements from politicians on this matter have become one of the topics of presidential election campaigns and intra-party elections in this country. The ban on the burkini revealed another form of restrictive laws when three police officers on the beaches of Nice, France, forced a woman wearing a burkini to remove it. The publication of the image of the woman surrounded by officers and their insistence on prohibiting the wearing of the burkini quickly made headlines globally, capturing another image of men's dominance over women's bodies. Disagreement in the government and feminist protests. Ultimately, the order that banned wearing the burkini in some coastal cities of France was rejected by the highest legislative authority in France. However, the burkini, citizenship rights, Islam, and laïcité have become hot topics in the political and social arena. So much so that statements from politicians on this matter have become one of the topics of presidential election campaigns and intra-party elections in this country. Although Manuel Valls clearly defended the local decision to ban the burkini in some cities, two female ministers in François Hollande's government, Najat Vallaud-Belkacem, the Minister of Education who was previously the Minister for Women's Rights before the merger of the Ministry of Women's Rights with the Ministry of Health, and the current Minister of Social Affairs and Health, Marisol Touraine, opposed this decision and the orders of the mayors of coastal cities in radio programs. Although François Hollande personally did not comment on this matter, the statements of these two female ministers, who are politically closer to the presidency of France, could indicate the opinion of the socialist president, who has often disappointed and frustrated social movements. This time, feminists and feminist associations, as staunch advocates of gender equality, despite not defending the hijab and considering women's clothing one of the historical signs of women's oppression in various religions, have strongly opposed these fines and also Manuel Valls' positions, deeming them a collection of racist and anti-women thoughts and actions. Users on social networks compared the French police and the Iranian police, protesting against the coercion to comply with a type of covering that the government demands. The issue of the burkini, its coverage by French media and outside France, alongside these protests and discussions on social networks and various reports, has once again made the topic of women's free choice and gender equality a hot issue globally, sometimes seen as a tool for humiliation and condemnation of France's policies towards religions. What is clear is that the burkini case will not be closed anytime soon.