To think this is fucking crazy

Can’t believe you are only just finding out you’re sharing a pool with owners. Is that not the research to do before booking or is it just a one night stop?

… and then leave a candid review including his original reply in French.

I'm guessing you're going somewhere quite rural.

I'm a French speaker and yes his message is saying that he won't have women wearing veils in his property and anyone veiled won't be welcome as people in the neighbourhood don't like it.

There is a lot of tension in France around religious dress and symbolism which is banned in public life as part of the policy of 'laïcité' (secularism) which is tied into the 'egalité' (equality) element of the French constitution. It's very strongly felt in France and I think unless you understand the culture around it, it's difficult to accept that people think it's ok to hold and express views like the Airbnb owner's. Unfortunately the banning of religious dress has fuelled racist views and allowed them to become acceptable.

Frankly I would just get on with it. Yes he's racist, but you're en route now and it's going to be very difficult to reorganise your holiday with such little notice.

However, when you get back, I would report him to Airbnb and send them the messages. Airbnb owners are not allowed to refuse people to stay in their property for reasons of 'race, color, ethnicity, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, or marital status' as per their nondiscrimination policy, so he will get himself banned from the site as a consequence. I would also leave a review saying the same thing.

@itstheendoftheworldasweknowitnow I was coming on here to say much the same. It sounds racist, but I would be inclined to give the benefit of the doubt here. Google doesn't always get it right when it comes to the exact nuances of what is being said in another language.

Plus, I would suspect that the family they turned away were demanding that they had private access to the pool because of their Religion and were told they couldn't have sole use of the pool and if that was what they wanted they would have to stay somewhere else. Plus as face coverings are banned and they were wearing them, it is not allowed in France and may very well have got the Landlord into major trouble for allowing them to stay if they refused to remove the face coverings.

Hope you just replied, that you aren't Muslim and were simply wondering how many people shared the pool and how busy it might therefore be.

I think the burka is illegal in France, so this guy is trying to stay within the law. We may not like the law, but he is obliged to obey it.

I got the impression that there was a bit of a history, Reading between the lines he has had previous people make a fuss about sharing the pool because of their religious beliefs - and that has made everyone uncomfortable. But it's just speculation...
But as others have said - you're on your way, Enjoy your holiday.

“Are you English or are you Muslim”… erm you could well be both.

But - honestly I’d just go- have your holiday, avoid the owner as much as possible and then write a review including this (as you will then warn anyone who doesn’t fancy having to share a pool with a racist).

The question was "is the pool shared" try and keep up.

^ This.

I had similar but in Morocco. I booked a villa. They didn't tell su there would be a male gardener and maintenance guy living and working on site until after booked and paid.
It was suggested but not confirmed in the confirmation email.

I emailed asking if they had any male staff on site because I am muslim and cover my hair etc. And that I.only wanted to know as I would buy myself a covered swimsuit. Just wanted to be prepared.

I had explained it was so I could buy the correct clothing and that it wasn't a problem him being there.

They emailed back stating that they are refusing my booking so I didn't complain...

Their loss. I rebooted somewhere else who confirmed there was male staff and so I packed my covered swim suit with no issues at all.

Fancy throwing money away when someone asked a question, not a complaint. And they should have made it clear in the original booking advertisement.

"The bit about are you English or Muslim… as if you can’t be both"

Exactly. People acting like it's a bit of misunderstanding have to be wilfully missing that line. I'm a major Francophile, we go there at least once a year, but this guy is a racist. It feels too late to change plans now unless he's prepared to give you a refund (he surely can't expect to refuse you entry but keep your money) and you can quickly find something else on gites de france or booking or airbnb or whatever. So going ahead and then leaving a detailed review afterwards is probably your best option.

France takes laicité very seriously. If that upsets you, you need to holiday elsewhere. Having said that, he does sound racist so what you do is up to you. If it's really important to you, turn round and go home. If you want to go anyway, making a thread on Mumsnet about the horrible racism of the French doesn't count as a get out clause. You choose to overlook it or not.

Yep

Which bit of France are you visiting?
Where I live, Dordogne, most gîte owners only use the pool when their guests are out.
A friends electrician has withdrawn his mixed race dc from the local school and is homeschooling due to racism by both the teachers and pupils.

Im assuming your gîte owner is French, it would be unusual to get such a response from a British owner ime.

Evidently I missed that key part of the OP🤣 I thought the owner was writing about the pool being shared in a hypothetical way 😂

I dont live in France and therefore my opinion doesnt really matter, but I think those jumping to conclusions of racism are wrong.

Hmm looking at the message it is a bit odd.

He seems to immediately jump to the conclusion that your reasons for asking if the pool is shared are because you are muslim and the women in your family wear a hijab/burkini.

I suppose if it is a shared pool it might be subject to rules about appropriate swimwear that the French have and may be he has had issues before with guests wearing unsuitable/banned swimwear. Although the bit about the neighours appears to be as racist as fuck.

I'd reply saying that you have no problem with sharing the pool, you just wanted to clarify whether it was shared or just for whoever is renting the flat. I'd avoid them if possible and definitely avoid any discussions about race/immigration/religion!

The hijab isn't banned in France, many women can and do choose to wear it. Full face coverings are and religious symbolism in public buildings etc - all religious ones not just Islamic ones.
Well done op for not being passive about this, unless something major has been lost in translocation this is just racism and Islamophobia.
read you T&C's very carefully see if you can get any money back.

Speak for yourself.

As a side note, that would be just like watching the riots in England on TV and saying "no wonder no one likes the English"

What do you mean what do you do?

Are you really, honestly prepared to cancel over this, en route? I'm not sure what you want people to say.

Well, do you want to stay there after finding out they are rampantly possibly racist?

Options:

1. look at the booking T&C’s and see if their behaviour contravenes that so you can get your money back and cancel (and perhaps nab a late air bnb)

2. cancel and lose the money but keep your principles intact

3. go and attempt to educate the racist ignorant owner

4. go, enjoy and look forward to leaving a very accurate review as to how narrow minded aforementioned owner is

It could be that they aren’t racist themselves, they are just going along with the villagers racism, their pitchforks and flaming torches in order to avoid similar treatment…

The bit about are you English or Muslim… as if you can’t be both 🙈
The French can be very abrupt in messages… I studied over there and I was once very unwell and couldn’t get into university but had an assignment due. I emailed the tutor apologising and letting him know and attached my assignment to the email. His response ‘I’m not your slave! You have failed the assignment (which he didn’t read as he emailed me back within a couple of minutes) and you are not welcome on my course’. 🤷🏼‍♀️

your reply is disgraceful. Even if this is supposed to be ironic, it is totally unacceptable.

Laws about what can be worn in a shared pool are completely different in France

I speak fluent French and this is definitely racist and quite shocking, particularly the last bit about the neighbourhood being against people with certain ‘religious convictions’ Whereabouts are you going OP ? Where I live there is a large Arabic population and the women wear hijabs, there is no issue. Full-face covers, such as the burka, are banned everywhere in France, however .