France Bans Burkini At Swimming Pools. The Exception To Rules Due To Religious Beliefs Did Not Pass.

On Tuesday, the French High court has blocked the town Grenoble's attempt to enable Muslim women to wear a Burkini at local swimming pools. The court has therefore supported the government who stood against this town's step. The case has revived the intensive debate about Islam in France. 

The state council, the highest instance of administrative judiciary in France, stated that "local exception to the rules in order to satisfy religious needs... endangers administrative functioning of public services and equal treatment of people who make use of them."

The garment worn by some Muslim women at swimming pools which covers practically their whole body and hair is a conflicting matter in France - critics of this swimsuit consider it a symbol of islamization. 

The Southeastern town Grenoble, led by mayor from the Green Party Éric Piolle, has in May changed its rules regarding the visitation of swimming and bathing establishments and has allowed all types of swimming garments, not only traditional swimsuits for women and shorts for women, which were mandatory until then.

„Our goal is for men and women to wear what they want," said Piolle at the time. The Tuesday decision is a "win of the law over separatism, win of secularism and therefore of the whole republic," wrote Gérald Darmanin, French home secretary on Twitter. He was referring to the law which came to force last year which is supposed to help fight islamic radicalism. 

The first storm regarding swimsuits came in summer 2016 due to attempts of mayors of several Southern French cities when Burkinis were banned on beaches on the coast of Mediterranean sea. The restrictions were canceled as discriminatory. 

Burkini are banned at French state swimming establishments due to hygienic reasons and not religious, while swimmers do not have any lawful obligation to hide their religious beliefs while swimming. 

Grenoble is not the first French town to change the rules. The town Rennes in Northwestern France has in 2019 silently updated their norms regarding swimming establishments and has allowed Burkini and other types of swimsuits.