#burkiniban

France might be having an Identity Crisis and the Burkini Ban is simply a symptom.

France is worried about a swimsuit. Very worried.

Here’s an explainer we put together that delves into how the burkini became a symbol of the fight for France’s future.

What Is The Burkini?

The burkini is a full body swimsuit that allows Muslim women to swim while still wearing a burqa-like garment. It was invented by a Lebanese Australian designer, Aheda Zanetti.

French towns along the Riviera began to ban the clothing this summer, using a variety of explanations, from the garment’s allegedly overt religious affiliation, to its link to an extremist religion that has perpetuated terror attacks on the country, to the claim that the garment actually oppresses the women who choose to wear it.

The bans were ruled unconstitutional on the grounds they violated freedom of religion and freedom of expression by a high court, but many of the towns have said they will continue to fight to keep the bans on other grounds.

Read More: Burkini Ban Suspended by Judge in France

Is The Burkini Ban Legal?

As quickly as the mayors of French beach towns instituted bans, civil rights groups fought the bans in court, raising the issue of whether French law allowed the government to dictate clothing.

Two different French courts found two different answers to that question, and the conflict between them highlights a fundamental disagreement over how the French view freedom of religion, freedom of expression, and equality.

Feminists in France are divided, too.

“Some say the state shouldn’t have any right to tell women what to do with their bodies and there are others who say covering up is a patriarchal imposition on women, and patriarchy, wherever it comes from — Muslim clerics, fathers or brothers — shouldn’t be allowed. So you have really opposite understandings,” Berenson said.

So What Will Happen Next?

Creative solution or ridiculous compromise?

Burkinis, Muslims, and Atheists - VIDEO