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French court’s suspension of one burkini ban could set a precedent

Donna Tam Aug 26, 2016
Mecca Laa Laa wears a burkini on her first surf lifesaving patrol at North Cronulla Beach in Sydney, Australia. Matt King/Getty Images

French court’s suspension of one burkini ban could set a precedent

Donna Tam Aug 26, 2016
Mecca Laa Laa wears a burkini on her first surf lifesaving patrol at North Cronulla Beach in Sydney, Australia. Matt King/Getty Images

The burkini just keeps making waves. France’s highest administrative court has made it possible to overturn the bans implemented on the full-body swimsuit, the BBC reported today.

The court said the ban  in one Mediterranean town “seriously and clearly illegally breached fundamental freedoms,” and the ruling could set precedent for other towns with similar bans. The burkini covers everything, but a person’s hands, feet and face.

The recent controversy over the suits has actually been good for business. The creator of the suit, Aheda Zanetti, said earlier this week that sales increased exponentially following the ban.

While this swimsuits were marketed for Muslim women who wanted to practice Islamic modesty, Zanetti said previously that 40 percent of her company’s sales come from non-Muslim beach goers who also want more modest swimwear or are concerned with exposure to the sun.

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