French Ban The Burkini In Public Swimming Pools

burkini

Until I read a Daily Mail article earlier about the French banning Muslim women from wearing a “burkini” in public swimming pools, I’d never seen or heard of the “burkini” before.

It was designed by an Australian after a group of lifeguards began a drive to recruit more Islamic lifeguards, particularly women, following violent clashes in 2005 between Lebanese Muslim teenagers and white Australians on Sydney’s Cronulla beach.

I applaud the French for saying no.

I’m an atheist, and so long as you don’t put your religion upon me or try force it down my neck I don’t have any problem with what faith others practice.

The one thing that often leaves me confused is this.

When I, as a white man and usually assumed Christian, go to a country such as Saudi Arabia, Kuwait or the UAE, I am expected to respect the traditions and customs of those countries, and often bound by laws to do so. Failure to do so could see me deported, or worse, spending time in the local jail.

Having been fortunate to have visited all three I know how much religion plays a part in daily life. Of course I followed all the rules without question. I was a guest in a foreign land.

So why is it when people of different faiths and cultures descend upon countries such as France and Great Britain they expect us to bend over backwards to accommodate them? Then shout racists from the top of their voices the moment they are told no.

The French, unlike the Brits, at least have the balls to say no. Here in Britain that just doesn’t happen. Everyone wants – everyone gets is normally the way it works here.

Even today I seen the Citizens Advice Bureau have banned the use of the word ‘blacklisted’ so as not to offend anyone.

Roll on January when I pack up and leave it all behind because quite frankly, it’s all gone too far.

Posted on August 18, 2009 | Filed Under Life