The “burkini” is not a marginal or even folklorizing practice; it is one of the many trial balloons launched by Islamist extremists to test the resilience of our society.
The controversy it has sparked is therefore anything but trivial. In absolute terms, I do not care whether people swim in a “burkini,” a puffer jacket, or in the nude. It neither bothers nor concerns me.
But everyone understands that the issue lies elsewhere. In the current societal context, marked by an unprecedented offensive by extremists to communalize our Republic, the situation reveals a fierce determination coupled with a certain tactical skill. By initiating a debate on something that should not be (the neutrality of public space), it is suggested that the most marginal initiatives of the extremists are the norm of the Muslim religion. Opposing them would therefore be considered “Islamophobia.”
If, intimidated, the Republic yields, this marginal practice will become, under the pressure of religious radicals, the rule, and, for example, no Muslim woman will dare go to the beach without this attire. We would take a further step towards the communalization of our society.
It is therefore essential that the courts remain firm, as in the initial decision. Otherwise, there should be no hesitation to legislate as was done with the headscarf in schools. The law indeed addressed an issue that had been artificially exaggerated by extremists. And today, no one remembers the debate, which had ignited public opinion for months.
To an ideological measure, the Republic is legitimate in responding on the same ground.
