France rightly regulates religious outfits in public

Traumatized by a string of terrorist attacks, including the attacks on the Bastille Day crowds in Nice, France is putting more effort to alleviate the security challenges it is grappling with. The latest endeavor is a ban at some of its beaches on wearing the burkini swimsuit, a full- length beachwear that covers the whole body except for the face, hands and feet. The controversial decision will be necessary for France’s social stability.

The decision to ban the burkini was first made by the mayor of Cannes in southern France, then many other local mayors followed suit. Anyone caught flouting the new rule will be fined. So far, at least four Muslim women reportedly have been fined for defying the ban.

It’s not the first time that France has banned some Muslim women’s outfits. In 2011, France became the first European country to ban public wearing of the burqa, an enveloping outer garment that covers the whole body, and the niqab, a full- face veil.

France has the right to prohibit religious attire in public. As one of the world’s most secular countries, it strongly separates religion and public life. France, by banning the burkini, aims to protect its mainstream secular culture. Flaunting one’s religious identity in public in essence constitutes a form of harm to other religious believers. If religious displays could be avoided in all public spaces, it will be helpful to avoid sectarian conflicts and encourage equality.

However, the burkini ban has come under fire in France. Many linked it to a rising tide of Islamophobia, arguing it is deliberately targeting Muslims and labeling it as an act that violates religious freedom.

Islamophobia has risen markedly in Europe, especially in France and Germany in recent years, given an increasing number of terrorist attacks by extreme Islamists. But it’s misleading to label regulations about public dress as Islamophobic. Burkinis, burqas and the niqab come from fundamentalist traditions in Islam.

Therefore, France’s burkini ban is more about shaping behavior than promoting stigma. Other European countries should also follow France.

It’s roughly estimated that Muslims make up 6 percent of the population in Europe, though the perception that the Muslim population is higher than the reality is widespread in Europe.

However, concerns are running high that the large Muslim population is not assimilating into the predominant culture.

Apart from the necessary administrative measures to promote the integration of Muslims into local societies, Muslims should also adapt to the changing environment of globalization, pushing forward religious reforms to meet the demands of development.