Sales of burkinis are skyrocketing as hostility toward garment grows in France, where six towns have banned the full-bodied Islamic swimsuits outright.
French Prime Minister Manuel Valls took a stand in favor of the bans after a photo of a woman in a burkini caused a brawl at a beach and left four people in the hospital. Valls said the swimsuits, which leave only the hands, feet and face showing, are not “compatible” with French values.
But the woman credited with creating the swimsuit says online sales have since jumped by 200 percent following the crackdown, and defends the burkini as a means of freedom for Muslim women who otherwise would not be able to swim.
“It’s about freedom,” she told BBC News, adding: “I know what hijab means. I know what veil means. I know what Islam means. And I know who I am.”
The debate has escalated following Valls statement, and what has become known as the “burkini riot” on the island of Corsica. A group of Muslim men accompanied by women wearing burkas allegedly tried to “privatize” a public beach by forcing everyone else on the beach to leave, threatening upset villagers with hatchets and harpoons, and pelting them with stones. Four people ended up in the hospital and the villagers erupted in protests over the incident.
Send tips to rachel@
All content created by the Daily Caller News Foundation, an independent and nonpartisan newswire service, is available without charge to any legitimate news publisher that can provide a large audience. All republished articles must include our logo, our reporter’s byline and their DCNF affiliation. For any questions about our guidelines or partnering with us, please contact licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.