Italy: Trieste residents, women and men, bathe dressed in support of Muslim women in burkini
If there is a beach in Europe, where the mobilization in favor of Muslim bathers who wear the burkini could be strong, instantaneous and unconditional, and take the form of a large chain of solidarity on the fine sand, even in the water, it is that of Pedocin, in Trieste, in the north-east of Italy.
Without any weak link to break its unity, fervor and fraternal support, this great chain of solidarity, perfectly mixed, has in fact extended to the rare single-sex beach of the Old Continent.
A singular beach, on which stands a brick wall separating men from women, which appears to be an anomaly in the eyes of many, except for the local population… Because, in Trieste, this wall which would be unthinkable elsewhere, at the risk of raise a tsunami of indignation, we really want it!
Under the blazing sun of August, there were around a hundred Triestines, women and men, closing ranks with the Muslim women, dressed in aquatic suits, the mere mention of which creates violent ripples on the French coast, in the face of the summer ostracism which brutally struck them.
Paradoxically, even though the local authorities continue to look favorably on non-mixed sex on Pedocin beach, they cannot tolerate even the slightest burkini venturing there and taking a dip in the water… They then purely and simply proscribed, banned, criminalized bathing attire respecting Muslim modesty, and indeed those who wear it.
“ We too wear burkinis to challenge local elected officials and tell them that it is a mistake to prevent women, in this case Muslim women, from swimming! “, exclaimed one of the supportive and angry non-Muslim administrators.
As a response to those of her fellow citizens who are fiercely hostile to wearing the burkini, arguing that it is “unhygienic”, she brandished a sign in front of the cameras on which was written: “ Does a wetsuit or a cruise ship pollute more?“. Other banners read “ Biodiversity is beautiful ” or ” In Pedocin we want to be in peace and live united “.
Leading figure of this great chain of solidarity which was formed and consolidated on Pedocin beach, Nurah Omar, vice-president of the Islamic cultural association of Trieste, denounced a discriminatory municipal decree. “ If a non-Muslim Italian woman had decided to go to the beach dressed or covered for reasons of health or relationship with her own body, there would not have been the slightest discussion. No one would have found fault with it,” she was indignant.
Banning the wearing of the burkini on the only single-sex beach in Europe offers a striking contrast to say the least… Thousands of kilometers from Trieste, in her Sydney boutique, we dare not imagine the dismay of its designer, the successful Australian stylist, Aheda Zanetti.
