The Burkini Ban And The Notion Of A 'Good' French Muslim Woman

The Burkini has certainly become the "hot topic" at the end of this summer season in France. The current conversation isn't dominated by talk about the Olympic Games and their charm, or anything about the continuous deterioration of the situation in Syria or Yemen or Iraq or even in Turkey, where a (new) dictatorship emerges.

We'll have to come back to these important topics. Instead, let's turn to the theme of the week, which concerns the burkini, the bizarre feminine nautical garment whose name comes from combining the words "burqa" and "bikini." The issue is simple: several municipalities in France have forbidden these bathing suits, and naturally the issue quickly became national, and then international news.

More...