French city approves Muslim swimsuit in controversial change

GRENOBLE (France) • The French city of Grenoble has authorised the wearing of the so-called "burkini" by Muslim women in state-run swimming pools, reigniting one of the country's most contentious debates on religious dress.

The all-in-one swimsuit, used by some Muslim women to cover their bodies and hair while swimming, has become a controversial talking point during the holiday season in recent years.

Seen as a symbol of creeping Islamism by its critics and an affront to France's secular traditions, many right-wingers and some feminists would like to ban it outright.

It is prohibited in most state-run pools - for hygiene, not religious reasons - where strict swimwear rules apply to all, including men who are required to wear tight-fitting trunks.

The move applies across the board, meaning men will be able to wear long shorts and women can also bathe topless in the Alpine city's pools.

Grenoble's Mayor Eric Piolle, one of the country's highest profile Green politicians who leads a broad left-wing coalition at the city council, has championed the move but run into a fierce campaign of opposition.

He managed to rally enough votes at a city council meeting to approve the measure, despite not having the support of his own EELV party, which distanced itself from the measure.

It was carried by the slimmest of margins with 29 votes for, 27 against and two abstentions after more than two hours of tense debates on Monday.

"All we want is for women and men to be able to dress how they want," Mr Piolle told broadcaster RMC on Monday.

Opponents see it differently, including the influential conservative head of the wider Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes region, Mr Laurent Wauquiez, who has promised to withdraw funding from the city.

"I am convinced that what Mr Piolle is defending is a dreadful dead-end for our country," Mr Wauquiez said at the beginning of this month, accusing him of "doing deals with political Islam" to "buy votes".

At the council meeting, the former right-wing mayor Alain Carignon urged a local referendum on the issue.

"You can't force through such a sensitive subject. You have no legitimacy, you weren't elected for that," he said.

The regional spat has put the burkini back in the headlines nationally, animating French talk shows and the political class ahead of parliamentary elections next month.

The issue of how people dress for the pool touches on highly sensitive topics in France, including fears about the influence of Islam and threats to the country's cherished secularism.

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE