WORLD

French mayors have banned full-body swimsuits known as “burkinis” from beaches, citing public order concerns. (Washington Post)

Read through our study guide on hijab to better understand this misunderstood concept, and ideas about how to discuss it in class.

Teachers, scroll down for a quick list of key resources in our Teachers Toolkit.

Discussion Ideas

• Some French mayors have banned “burkinis” (sometimes spelled “burqinis”) from popular beaches. What are burkinis?
  • Burkinis are a type of swimsuit marketed toward Muslim women.
  • The word burkini is a portmanteau of the words burqa and bikini. A burqa is a head-to-toe outer garment worn by some Muslim women when they are in public. A bikini is a two-piece swimsuit.
  • Burkinis are simply full-body swimsuits. Dark burkinis are often indistinguishable from wetsuits worn by surfers and divers. Burkinis come in a variety of colors, however—including Baywatch-ready red-and-yellow for this pioneering Australian lifeguard.

• Why do some people support the burkini ban? Read through our study guide, and take a look at the Fast Facts for some help.
  • According to government officials, “The garment goes against the country’s secular beliefs … and only furthers tension between French citizens who practice Islam and those who do not in a country that has suffered a series of targeted attacks by Islamist extremists in recent years.”
    • According to our study guide, burkinis and other hijab clothing have become potent indicators of identity, with many non-Muslims viewing it as a political statement. Some communities interpret hijab as a sign of Islamic fundamentalism, the refusal of immigrants to integrate into mainstream society, or the oppression of women.
  • Officials also cite safety concerns after a very violent brawl broke out when tourists photographed women in burkinis.
  • France has fairly strict laws discouraging wearing religious-affiliated clothing in public. According to our study guide, students, teachers, and government workers are banned from wearing “overt religious displays,” including hijab, Jewish kippah (skullcaps), and large Christian crosses. Small charms are allowed.

• Why do some people object to the burkini ban?
  • Opponents say the bans are bigoted, in that they specifically target Muslim women, and will only further divide a nation reeling from violent incidents.
    • One opponent says a mayor who bans burkinis “talks about protecting public order, which means he thinks the presence of a Muslim woman on a beach will cause trouble. He also invokes the fight against terrorism, so he is basically saying a Muslim woman who wears a burkini is a terrorist.”
    • Another opponent says “Yet again it’s ordinary Muslims who pay for the actions of terrorists even though they had nothing to do with it. This is exactly what Daesh [the Islamic State] wants.”

• Many people who object to the burkini ban cite the example of some Muslim athletes at the Olympics, who participate while wearing hijab: American fencers, Saudi sprinters, Egyptian weightlifters. What is hijab? Take a look at our study guide on this concept for some help.
  • Hijab is an Islamic concept of modesty and privacy. Hijab garments range from simple head scarves (called khimaar or simply hijab) to head-to-toe cloaks such as abayas and burqas.
  • Public expression of hijab is a very personal issue. It is, first and foremost, an act of worship among Muslim women. In the United States, wearing hijab clothing is a right guaranteed by the First Amendment—as freedom of speech and freedom of religion.

TEACHERS TOOLKIT

Washington Post: Burkini beach brawl leads third French city in a week to ban the swimsuit for Muslim women

Nat Geo: Hijab: Veiled in Controversy study guide