Local Governments have implemented Burkini bans in 15 coastal towns in France including Cannes, Villeneuve-Loubet, and Corsica. This attack on modest clothing has had repercussions on Muslim women who want to attend beaches in those towns.
If a Muslim woman is spotted wearing a burkini in any of the beaches she is given a fine or in some cases forced to remove the piece of clothing and opt for something less modest.
Voici la vidéo des deux jeunes filles se faisant sortir de l'eau par la police à #Nice06 Sans porter de burkini... pic.twitter.com/NoY6i6V7bK
— Feiza Ben Mohamed (@FeizaK) August 22, 2016
The video above shows a French police officer issuing a fine to a Muslim woman wearing a burkini whilst wading in the sea. The 34-year-old lady was with her young children spending a day at La Bocca beach in Cannes. L'Obs reported, the police told her she had to pay a €11 fine which she agreed to pay. What happened next was unexpected, a crowd gathered and began to taunt her while she was with her children and began shouting “go home”.
Nouvelle vidéo de la chasse aux femmes voilées à #Nice06 Saison 1 / épisode 2 #BurkiniGate pic.twitter.com/XJNKTh2Rdk
— Feiza Ben Mohamed (@FeizaK) August 23, 2016
Another incident occurred in Nice, France where a Muslim woman is told by armed police officers that she must remove part of her clothing if she wants to lay on the beach. Whilst the police officers demanded the lady remove her clothing, the officers were carrying handguns, batons and pepper spray.
Photos of burkini ban enforcement show the frightening reality of policing women's bodies https://t.co/Uvp8FC3vS8 pic.twitter.com/UnNLRqS9Zg
— Huffington Post (@HuffingtonPost) August 24, 2016
The Muslim women have not been abandoned in their fight for modesty, wealthy Algerian entrepreneur, Rachid Nekkaz, has stepped up and offered to pay for all the fines given to women who decide to wear a burkini where the ban is implemented. The Independent reported that the entrepreneur has payed out over €230,000 since the enforcement of the ban
The Sun in the UK has reported that Aheda Zanetti, the Australian woman who trademarked the Burkini, has claimed to have had a 200% increase in sales for her modest swimwear the burkini bans were enforced in France.