Burkini Bather Thrown out of Public Pool
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Sonia Farid, trans., Al Arabiya News Channel (Dubai), February 27, 2008
A Dutch Muslim woman was thrown out of a public swimming pool for wearing an Islamic-style swimsuit, sparking a row between pool and municipality officials, German news agency DPA reported on Wednesday.
The woman, a convert to Islam, was wearing a “burkini”—a combination of burqa (the garment Muslim women wear to cover the whole body) and bikini.
She was asked to leave Hanzebad swimming pool in the eastern Netherlands city of Zwolle, some 120 kilometers from the capital Amsterdam.
The municipality says the pool should allow women to wear the burkini, but pool officials said it does not meet regulations and might “scare off” other visitors, DPA reported.
The pool manager said there are special hours set aside for conservative Muslim women and added that the Dutch lady chose to swim outside ladies hours to make a statement.
Discussions are still underway between pool and municipality officials to resolve the matter, the German news agency said.
[Editor’s Note: Other AR-featured stories about the burkini can be read here and here.]
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(Posted on February 28, 2008)