French court confirms ban on ‘burkini’ in municipal swimming pools | World

The case that stirred the debate over Islam in France began in mid-May when Grenoble’s city council relaxed regulations on attire allowed in swimming pools, without directly mentioning the burkini.

The Ministry of the Interior filed a complaint for considering that the measure violated the principles of secularism.

When an administrative court in Grenoble found the state right, the city decided to appeal and the Council of State was put in charge of the case.

This Tuesday, the highest administrative jurisdiction confirmed the decision of the Grenoble court, understanding that the new swimming pool regulation constitutes a “very selective exception” to satisfy a “religious claim”.

Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin hailed the decision on Twitter as “a victory for the law against separatism and for secularism”.

In 2016, the attempt by some mayors in the south of France to ban the burkini on the beaches of the Mediterranean generated the first political storm around the attire that some consider a symbol of the oppression of women.

Islamic dress is a controversial topic in France, where the full veil is banned in public places and the hijab (scarf that covers the hair and neck of women) is also not allowed in schools or for civil servants in their workplaces. .