Burkini bans causing waves in Egypt
Tourist-hungry Egypt finds itself stuck in the middle of the burkini debate.
Banning the burkini, a full-body swimming outfit, on public beaches has been a controversial issue in many countries. But in Muslim-majority countries where many women are veiled, the debate can reach a boiling point. The burkini battle stretched into Egypt last year, spawning a public outcry and putting the country’s Tourism Ministry under fire.
After receiving complaints from burkini-wearing women who were not allowed into some resort pools, Egypt's Tourism Ministry recently canceled — briefly — the burkini ban, urging hotels with multiple swimming pools to at least allocate one of them to hijabi women. The Egyptian Hotel Association, which is affiliated with the ministry, distributed the ministry's Aug. 3 decision: The burkini should not be banned as long as it is made of typical swimsuit materials and meets hygiene regulations. The association said the decision is designed to eliminate any claims that burkinis are banned for any religious-related reason or that hotels enforce discriminatory policies.
However, less than 24 hours later, the ministry reignited the still-smoldering burkini row by rescinding its decision, saying each hotel is now authorized to allow or ban burkini-wearing women from their pools depending on the types of tourists they host and the season.
Actually, the burkini is banned in many coastal resorts such as Dahab, Hurghada, Gouna and Ain al-Sokhna. Veiled women are also banned from entering some restaurants in Cairo, especially at night when alcohol is being served.
