German public pool bans the burqini, what do you think?

Forums: Germany, News, Muslims, Integration, Burquini
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A public indoor swimming pool near Regensburg has issued a ban on the burqini, which some Muslim women choose to wear for modesty.

The ban was imposed after the pool in Neutraubling held a women-only swim day, the Mittelbayerische Zeitung reported last week.

One young woman chose to swim and do water aerobics in a burqini, eliciting loud complaints from the other women there.

The complaints reached the town officials, who decided to place a ban on the burqini as ‘non-typical’ swim attire.

“Why the burqini as a full-body suit would be necessary to wear during a women’s swim day is for me incomprehensible,” town mayor Heinz Kiechle said.

The newspaper reports that the young woman, who witnesses described as a good swimmer, has not returned to the pool.

The mayor told the newspaper that the ban has to do with a policy that requires “only generally typical apparel” to be worn, giving no exceptions to Muslim women.

The burqini is designed to be a more modest swimsuit for women, covering most of the body, except for the face, and somewhat resembles a wetsuit.

Mayor Kiechle further said that because the pool is financed publicly for all citizens, it would not make sense to make special arrangements for individual religions that may adversely affect the general public.

“This also contradicts the fundamental ideas of integration and mutual understanding, which is always being discussed in many towns.”

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Type: Discussion • Score: 22 • Views: 16,162 • Replies: 176

@Robert Gentel,

Here is a photo of one (another in the article) of a burqini:

I get that the Germans want more integration and conformity our of their Muslim population, and that many see the burqa as oppressive to women but for the life of me I can't see how this can "adversely affect the general public".

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@Robert Gentel,

I think this ban is ridiculous. There is no real reason for it.

1 Reply

@Robert Gentel,

If this woman wore a full-body suit because she had a rash, would they still be complaining?

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It's stupid and likely to be counterproductive. I don't like Muslim oppression of women, and I don't like burqua bans either.

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@Robert Gentel,

Many of our local public pools have separate female-only swim times.

The idea of a burqini during those swims seems a bit odd, since the burqa's generally only worn when women will be seen by unrelated men - and there are no men at those swims and the viewing areas are also controlled for those hours.

I can understand a burqa-wearing woman choosing to wear a burqini during a mixed swim, and they look more comfortable than some of the things I've seen Muslim women wear during public leisure swims.

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I don't viscerally understand burquinies but I do grasp that millions of women besides me are comfortable with these garments for modesty. As far as the city guy saying it affects others in a women's swimming area: no, it doesn't, at least that I can figure out.

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Actually, many public swimming pools in Germany have elected to dedicate one day out of the week for "women only" - no men will be allowed on such dedicated days. Since public pools are sponsored by the public, Germans (men) show Muslim women that they're willing to abstain one day of the week from swimming to accommodate them.

Why on earth they'd still cover themselves from head to toe in a burka (burquini) is beyond me.

Germany is not an immigrant nation, it has had a tremendous influx of Muslim refugees within the last year, it is understandable that not everyone can adapt to these different customs right away. The town where this incident was reported from, is not an urban metropolitan city, people are apprehensive and need to adjust - the same goes for the refugees!

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I just read it in a German newspaper and they said that this pool is frequented by older German women who are distrusting towards these burqini wearing women.
However, the neighboring town has no such ban and welcomes all women - with or without burqini. There you go!

1 Reply

@CalamityJane,

Well, actually it isn't a just a ban for a burquini but for anything besides "traditional swimwear" (swimming trunks, swimming costume, bikini).
And not only since recently but since years (from 1971, current version is from 2006 pdf here)

According to the regional paper, men weren't allowed who entered the pool in underwear as well.

The "only women day" in that said indoor pool isn't observed by most local Muslim women, because a male guard still is in the building and it's possible to look inside through a glassed wall.

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@Robert Gentel,

I hate the whole concept of a burq anything, but I think the action by the pool unreasonable and counter productive. Presumably it is in everyone's interest if Muslim people feel welcomed in countries they emigrate to. If the Muslims were demanding others change their costumes I'd fiercely oppose that, but they are not.

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@Walter Hinteler,

Just adding that said pool is an indoor pool - there are four public beaches at a lake (so to say as the town's outdoor pools). But the swimming regulations for the lake are exactly the same as mentioned above ... (Nude bathing isn't allowed there either though it is generally allowed on Bavarian lakes)

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@dlowan,

dlowan wrote:

I hate the whole concept of a burq anything, but I think the action by the pool unreasonable and counter productive.

The pool and beaches are run by the town.
Due to the regulations and the other already mentioned circumstances, the many of the female local Muslim population uses other indoor/outdoor pools in the neighbourhood, since years.

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Doesn't seem to be much different from the bathing suits worn in America in 1900 or so.

http://www.victoriana.com/library/Beach/image/1900swimsuit.jpg

1900:

By the end of the 19th century people were flocking to the oceanside beaches for popular seaside activities such as swimming, surf bathing, and diving. The clumsy Victorian-style bathing costumes were becoming burdensome. A need for a new style bathing suits that retained modesty but was free enough to allow the young lady to engage in swimming was obvious.
http://www.victoriana.com/library/Beach/FashionableBathingSuits.htm

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@jespah,

jespah wrote:

If this woman wore a full-body suit because she had a rash, would they still be complaining?

Persons with rash are generally not allowed there.

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@Walter Hinteler,

Walter Hinteler wrote:

(Nude bathing isn't allowed there either though it is generally allowed on Bavarian lakes)

There are at least three lakes with nude bathing beaches within a circle of ten miles from that town. Going with swim suits to the largest (Ammer Weiher) isn't liked very much - though, of course, allowed.

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@Walter Hinteler,

We've got one public swimming pool per 12,000 inhabitants in Germany (data as of 2012, the number might be lower by now).
All have different regulations, not only by state law but by the local municipalities as owners as well.

Out of interest, I've just asked at the thermal spa (three minutes away, several indoor and outdoor pools) about how they would react to a burqini (the bylaw says, swimming only allowed with swimsuits): it happens now and then.

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Some don't like wearers of the burqini at all.

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e0/Nagasakibomb.jpg/220px-Nagasakibomb.jpg

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@Miss L Toad,

Did you perhaps mean Bikini? As in Bikini Atoll?

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@Walter Hinteler,

Walter Hinteler wrote:

dlowan wrote:
I hate the whole concept of a burq anything, but I think the action by the pool unreasonable and counter productive.
The pool and beaches are run by the town.
Due to the regulations and the other already mentioned circumstances, the many of the female local Muslim population uses other indoor/outdoor pools in the neighbourhood, since years.

So?

1 Reply

German public pool bans the burqini, what do you think?

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