Burkini or Bikini, Women Should Be Able to Wear Whatever The Hell They Want
The recent string of bans in French towns and cities on the “Burkini swimsuit” has invited it’s fair share of controversy. The Burkini is a full-body swimsuit for women meant to be “in-line with Islamic values”. The swimsuit is now at the center of the debate on secularism. The coastal city of Nice, which witnessed the deadly truck rampage in July that killed 86 people is latest to adopt the Burkini ban. There are passionate arguments from both sides. Advocates of the ban argue that the Burkini reflects a fundamental archaic culture that oppresses women under the guise of religious beliefs. Opponents of the ban argue that the Muslim community is being unfairly targeted and that Muslim women should have the freedom to wear the Burkini. Both sides are only right to a certain extent.
The Burkini ban may be seen by the authorities as a means of stamping out archaic beliefs. But in reality, it only serves to further polarize France’s Muslim community from the rest of the country. At a time when Islamic extremism is tapping on the fears and dissatisfaction of disenfranchised Muslim minorities, this is a fight France cannot afford to loose. Secularism is the bedrock of Democracy. It is the solid foundation that guarantees the equality of all races and religions. However, secularism will not be successful if ideas are simply banned. Rather than banning regressive cultural practices, counter them with better, progressive ideals.
The image of four armed French policemen forcing a Muslim woman to remove her full body swim suit only serves to reinforce the notion that France is at war with its Muslim minority. This is a rhetoric that extremists groups like ISIS love to exploit for propaganda.
While much of the outrage from the Burkini ban has come from the Left, they now find themselves in odd cahoots with conservative Muslims who strongly believe that women should be modestly dressed. This is where the left should proceed with caution. There are different motivations behind a women’s decision to wear a Burkini, a Burqa or a Hijab. But we should not underestimate the power of societal and cultural pressures.
In many Middle Eastern countries; UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Iran and Bahrain, Islamic law is enforced in the form of dress codes for women. While in France, women are forced to unveil, In the Middle East, they’re forced to cover themselves. It’s a different form of oppression, but it’s still oppression nonetheless. In the Middle East, dress codes are enforced on non-Muslim women as well. In Saudi Arabia, women are still banned from driving and this ban extends even to Western expatriates working in the Kingdom.
While such laws don’t exist in the West, many migrants who move to the West import the same cultural beliefs and practices. To some Muslim women living in the West, a primary motivation for covering up is the societal and family pressures that are still prevalent in their local communities. Ironically, many of the same Leftists who were outraged over the Burkini ban fall silent when women in the Middle East are forced — by law to cover up.
Cultural relativism, the idea that all cultures are equal and should afford respect is but a myth. Some cultures are more regressive than others. Banning women from driving because of “culture” is wrong and should not be afforded with any respect. Forcing women to cover up to protect the honor of the family is wrong and oppressive. Likewise, forcing women at the beach to uncover themselves in the name of secularism is also wrong and oppressive.
That being said, female empowerment should be at the centre of any decision a Muslim woman makes. Whether she chooses to cover up or not is should be entirely her choice and preference. The male patriarchy shouldn’t have to make that decision for her, the clerics and religious scholars shouldn’t have to make that decision for her, the Government shouldn’t have to make that decision for her.
