France Addresses Muslim Women

Michael Curtis

The "burkini" is not catching on in France's Riviera towns. .......On August 12, 2016, Syrian Democratic Forces and Arab and Kurdish fighters liberated the Syrian city of Manbij, near the Turkish border. This stronghold that ISIS had held since early 2014 fell to the liberating forces after two months of heavy conflict. Local citizens had been abused and had been held hostage under the brutal rule of ISIS. On Liberation Day, they expressed joy and jubilation.

Instantaneous photos showed the elation of the newly liberated women. They were getting rid of the niqabs (full body covered robes with a slit for the eyes) they had been forced to wear and setting fire to them. Other women took off their burqas (full body covering with mesh over the eyes). Men were busy shaving the beards ISIS had made them grow. This welcome event of women being liberated contrasts with the current acrimonious dispute in France over Muslim women wearing burkinis (a mix of burqa and bikini), the full-bodied gowns covering the head, used by them for the beach and swimming. ...More