(AFP) France’s top administrative court on Tuesday blocked a bid to allow the “burkini” at municipal pools in the city of Grenoble, upholding a government challenge against a move that revived France’s intense debate on Islam.
The all-in-one swimsuit, used by some Muslim women to cover their bodies and hair while swimming, is a controversial issue in France where critics see it as a symbol of creeping Islamisation.
The “very selective exception to the rules to satisfy religious demands … risks affecting the proper functioning of public services and equal treatment of their users,” the Council of State ruled Tuesday.
Its judgment backed a lower court ruling in May that was prompted by a challenge by the national government to the council’s decision.
