Burkinis

[TaterTots]

We've all seen the fuss about them, but last night I saw my first one in 'real life', which got me thinking. Also today two of my friends were arguing about them on FB - one against any ban, the other claiming they are a symbol of oppression.

My view has pretty much always been that it's just a different type of swimsuit; no different to some women wearing bikinis and others wearing one-pieces. I'd always thought the bans in places like Cannes were all about the culture/assimilation issue; it hadn't really crossed my mind that the 'modesty' might be being forced on women.

What do you think?

The views spouted by the proponents of the ban here such as "if you are in the west you should follow western ways" show just how xenophobic the ban is. Dreadful.

to be honest I'd be uncomfortable with the man partnered with a Burkina wearer looking at me

To be honest I'm uncomfortable with people thinking it's OK to post bigoted views these days but them's the breaks.

WHY does it bother people? I don't understand why you would care.

I think safety is an issue with these as if someone is swimming in one of these and they get into difficulty they would have fabric covering their mouth

Apart from the fact it doesn't ..I love to see how people who are actually islamaphobic like to dress this up as faux concern for the Muslim woman.

Motherducker exactly. Live and let live.

Was at beach last night and there were lots of families with women wearing them. And they were just mums playing with their kids, like me.

Ignoring the religious aspect of the bikini, no one should be told what to where, after a recent melanoma diagnosis I want to wear something like this and all health guidelines advise covering up in the sun. Burkinis are more readily available than wetsuits made from swimsuit material.
Btw is there an age cutoff and a style guide as most children's beach wear covers head to toe.

People should be allowed to choose to dress in anything from a bikini to a burkini on the beach. Forcing women to reveal more than they wish to is just as bad as forcing them to cover up. What's next? I wear a swim skirt when I'm at the beach, so should I be forced to stop wearing it because it covers too much up?

I think burkinis are tools for more women to guarantee their freedoms. Many wear them by choice with others it might a compromise with their husbands. But a woman swimming in a burkini is much freer than a woman not swimming.

Exactly Fanjo

If there were safety issues, they wouldn't be allowed in swimming pools (in the UK, at least)

Her body, her choice. I'm not going to force a white, British, Christian woman wearing a wetsuit and a scuba mask or fully dressed on the beach to get undressed just for me, so I fail to see why I would force anyone on the basis of their colour, nationality or faith.

This

I wear almost the equivalent to a burkini and I'm white, British for generations and an Atheist. Because I just don't want to wear a skimpy costume, I haven't been oppressed or anything I just have dysmorphia type issues. I also have to wear shorts and a vest at least because I have a potentially very offensive (and certainly not viewable by children) tattoo.

They aren't doing any harm and if they are being oppressed then fight their oppressors not them.

I was overjoyed to see the 'rise of the burkini' on holiday this year.

We've been to the same hotel in Egypt 3 times now. The hotel has a huge on site waterpark. The previous time (2013) I was irritated/upset by the amount of women fully covered and only able to paddle in the kids splash pool whilst their husbands were wearing shorts and making the most of all the rides/pools/rivers.

This year there were one or two ladies covered, but 100s wearing burkinis/modesty costumes and all thoroughly enjoying themselves. It was such a positive change...Even if it did mean larger queues for the best rides!

(And both DD and I commented on how lovely some of the costumes were. I am seriously considering one for myself - much nicer than rash vests)

They aren't doing any harm and if they are being oppressed then fight their oppressors not them

Agree

WHY does it bother people? I don't understand why you would care.

Because they are Islamophobic.

Spot in.

Silly phone..spot ON.

I think safety is an issue with these as if someone is swimming in one of these and they get into difficulty they would have fabric covering their mouth

This is hilarious. There is no fabric covering the mouth. This reminds me of a friend of my dd's who when she started wearing hijab in the school tried to ban it because "it was a fire hazard"

IT IS NO ONE'S BUSINESS OR RIGHT TO TELL PEOPLE WHAT THEY CAN OR CANNOT WEAR IN PUBLIC!!!

Women just like men should be able to wear whatever they are comfortable wearing without fear of being judged or harassed.

It'd like all the people who suddenly became animal welfare protestors when the right wing press ran stories about Halal meat.

I don't see why people get so annoyed by them. Women should not be forced to display flesh if they want to swim, anymore than told they shouldn't expose flesh by wearing a bikini. Banning them isn't going to free people from real or perceived oppression. It will mean that they can no longer swim on the beach.

Been staying near a surfing beach and there were quite a few girls wearing leggings made out of swim material. No one blinked. Too hot for a wet suit but they ended some protection.

I don't want to speak for Muslims when there are several in the thread, but a couple of people have asked about male modesty and haven't been answered. It's my understanding (from Muslim friends) that men should cover from the navel to the knee - which explains why they are able to wear standard board shorts on the beach. It doesn't imply hypocrisy that the women with them are covering more. I hope I have this right.

I'd love to see them become fashionable and just another choice in beachwear . For me the French banning them is an anti feminist stance. Women should be free to wear what they like and making the garment or even a modified form a mainstream item to be worn by anyone who likes them would be an obvious solution.

Maybe someone could pay the TOWIE girls to wear them and stock them in their Essex booooo-tiques (the saving in fake tan would be an added bonus )

Wear what you like. The important thing to ascertain is is it a choice? What I don't understand is if women should cover up, why shouldn't the men (never seen a Muslim bloke in full rash suit)