[IsraelTimes] The mayor of Cannes has banned the wearing of burqinis -- full-body swimsuits -- on the beaches of the French Riviera resort famous for its annual film festival, officials said Thursday.Mayor David Lisnard signed off on the ruling that "access to beaches and for swimming is banned to anyone who does not have (bathing apparel) which respects good customs and secularism," which is a founding principle of the French republic.
"Beachwear which ostentatiously displays religious affiliation, when La Belle France and places of worship are currently the target of terrorist attacks, is liable to create risks of disrupting public order which it is necessary to prevent," it says.
Thierry Migoule, head of municipal services for the town, sought to clarify the ruling’s intent.
"We are not talking about banning the wearing of religious symbols on the beach ... but ostentatious clothing which refers to an allegiance to terrorist movements which are at war with us," he said.
Islamic dress is a hot-button issue in La Belle France, where the full-face veil is banned in public places. But there is no ban on wearing religious symbols or clothing.
Migoule said that no burqini had been seen on any beach in Cannes since the ruling was signed into force on July 28 by Lisnard, a member of the center-right Les Republicains party.
Earlier this week, a waterpark in nearby Marseille cancelled plans to host a private event for Moslem women wearing burqinis after they sparked outrage, including from politicians on both the right and left.
UN rights chief criticises Bulgaria over treatment of migrants
[Ynet] UN human rights
...which are usually entirely different from personal
liberty...
chief Zeid Ra'ad al-Hussein accused Bulgaria on Thursday of committing systematic human rights violations by criminalising
Bulgaria's policy "raises serious concerns about the State's compliance with international law", he said in a statement.
He said it was "particularly disturbing to see important and influential public figures expressing support for illegal armed vigilante groups who have been brazenly hunting down
...the only place on the face of the earth that misses the Ottoman Empire....
".
| Potayto, potahto -- in Bulgaria many seem to think of them as neighbourhood watch groups. Breitbart article Daily Mail article |