Tatarstan Muslim Spirituality Directorate: ‘Mayor of Cannes addresses to the model of Soviet Union secularism’
Experts are convinced the Burkini ban in Cannes will just worsen the situation
The city administration of Cannes continues to clamp down Muslims on the French Riviera after a terrorist attack in Nice. This time the Mayor of the city banned Islamic swimsuits called burkini. Muslim women wearing it will be fined €38. At the same time Realnoe Vremya's interlocutors note such measures encroach on religious freedom and are not able to protect the society from a real threat.
Burkini ban as a means of fight against terrorism?
The authorities continue to toughen safety measures on the French Riviera after the terrorist attack in Nice that left 80 dead. So, after the ban on bringing big bags and suitcases to beaches, the authorities of Cannes imposed a ban on wearing burkini – a Muslim swimsuit that covers almost the whole body. As Mayor of Cannes David Lisnar told, such clothes 'don't respect good customs and secularism and don't comply with hygiene and safety rules', says ABC News. Those women who will come to beach wearing burkini will have to pay a €38 fine.
Lisnar explained the decision saying 'manifesting religious affiliation could create risks of trouble to public order'. It should be reminded it has not been the first decision on the ban of Muslim clothes in France. In 2011, it was banned to wear paranja in public space. In case of breach, there is a fine equal to €150. Then there was a series of bans on wearing hijabs in different establishments. After complaints of Muslim women in 2014, the European Court supported the authority.
'I don't think it is impossible to achieve something by imposing bans'
In the chairwoman of the Union of Muslim Women of Tatarstan Nailya Ziganshina's opinion, Europeans started to treat Muslims with caution after a series of terrorist attacks. At the same time Ziganshina notes she has witnessed many times that people around who got acquainted with Muslim families started to support them and talk to them regardless of their faith.
In turn, she says the ban on wearing Muslim clothes doesn't respect human, legal and constitutional regulations of any country. 'I don't think it is impossible to achieve something by imposing bans,' Ziganshina thinks. The interlocutor is sure they should fight against those people who want to do bad things, not clothes. 'If a person has a bad intention, they can put any clothes on,' the chairwoman of the Union of Muslim Women of Tatarstan notes and remembers a widely spread concept that terrorists wear a black hijab.
'A model of secularism that becomes obsolete'
The deputy chairman of the Muslim Spirituality Directorate of Tatarstan Hazrat Rustam Batrov thinks that the authority of Cannes has a dead-end position.
'Actually he [Editor's Note: Mayor of Cannes David Lisnar] addresses to a model of secularism that becomes obsolete. Indeed, it was spread in France. It was also distributed in the Soviet Union. The main idea of this model of secularism is that any demonstration of religion in public space is banned,' Batrov told. 'The second model of secularism is Anglo-Saxon. Secular means 'not connected with religion'. And public space is secular because it belongs to everyone, not only to atheists, Christians or Muslims only. Every person can express himself and herself in public space.
He says this model of secularism can be compared with freedom of speech that exists because there are different opinions in public space.
'It does not mean any demonstration of religion in public space should be destroyed. It means all people should be given equal opportunities. I am speaking about secularism as a religious neutrality,' the deputy chairman of the Muslim Spirituality Directorate of Tatarstan explained.
In turn, in the interlocutor's opinion, the model secularism adopted in France doesn't correspond to the regulations admitted today in the society.
'I suppose this model of secularism that was born during the French Revolution, the fight against church – it all stems from it – becomes obsolete and doesn't correspond to the modern human right standards. Nowadays the world community is going towards admitting uniqueness and originality of different traditions, cultures and personal choice of a very person. This is why if a person wants to be Christian, Muslim, who has a right to forbid it?'