The mayor of a Corsican town has banned full-body swimsuits known as “burkinis” after a clash between local residents and Muslim bathers of North African origin.
Ange-Pierre Vivoni is the latest French mayor to prohibit the swimwear, which is worn by some Muslim women, in the wake of terrorist attacks this summer.
Vivoni said on France-Info radio Monday that the ban in his town of Sisco is aimed at calming religious tensions and protecting Muslims.
The Interior Ministry says a clash Saturday in Sisco that left at least four people injured and three cars torched reportedly started over the presence of women in burkinis.
On Satruday, the French resort of Cannes won court backing for its ban as a judge refused to overturn its decision to forbid Muslim women from wearing the full-body swimsuit.
Local authorities in the Riviera city, home to the famous Cannes film festival, moved to ban burkinis from beaches at the end of July. The nearby resort of Villeneuve-Loubet followed suit on Saturday.
Three women backed by the Collective Against Islamophobia in France (CCIF) challenged the Cannes decision in court on Friday, saying it was illegal and calling for it to be suspended.

Source: Arab News