The world was shocked earlier in August as France's « Liberté, égalité, fraternité » took a solid hit. A women of apparent Muslim origin was apprehended on a Nice beach on August 23rd when three municipal officers asked (in France this is called to verbalize) to undress under their supervision. Useless to say that the surrounding sun bathers seemed to care little over the incident. And yet, this issue has rallied public outcry in a what is yet again a case of xenophobic mishandling of recent ethnic tensions. The case is also tearing the feminist community yet again as some view the incident as a fascist attempt to control a women's ability to dress as she pleased, and some other as a the fascist act of asking women to un/cover themselves in shame. In the country of the summer's monokinis, this is indeed ripping the social fabric of a country that seems embedded in a downward spiral of intolerant regulation, especially since the late terrorist acts of 2015 and 2016.
Many from the nationalist right, including the Front National party have defended a controversial position for decades under Jean-Marie LePen. Mass-immigration was not a good idea from the start and it does not necessarily contribute to society as much as the classical open society narrative would want the plebes to believe. Indeed, if all Western nations are to accept people from all over the world, what difference does it then contribute to your nation specifically?
In a not so distant past, it was fairly easier for a politician to promote the virtues of inclusion to a short term thinking rebellious May 68 crowd than to confront it with the uncomfortable fact that it had stopped making babies. And so began the unintended consequences of multicultural policies. In the wake of such political misfires, France did recently embark on a policy bonanza, trying to contain decades of "200,000 per year" immigration spree. The urge to accept people for whoever they are, to serve a humanistic purposes did not go well with structural deficits.
Back to the Burkini shall we? Fashion will make you do the stupidest things. As French rapper MC Solaar said it best : Victime de la mode, tel est son nom de code. When a women wants to make a senseless wardrobe statement whether conscious or not, that's her choice right? Right...!
It all started in 2005, when France came with a strong statement against religiously oriented clothing in public buildings, simply banning them from school. This had the benefit of helping integrate thousands of Lycée student who were suddenly treated as frenchmen, instead of being treated as a "beurre" in reference to the yellowish color of their Arabic skin. And in the wake of the recent terrorist events, not one but thirty local communes started to ban similar clothing but this time in public areas. The French have this way of stepping out of their way to stop a radical consequence with a radical measure.
And so on July 26th the mayors of those communes who had banned the burkini on their local beaches were ordered by the State Counsel to stop banning the use of burkinis on their beaches. Needless to say that Front National's second in command Florian Philippot went out in a typical public outcry over this decision that is in line with the current national Constitution.
The burkini is not much of the issue here. But the power of a State that allows the « thou shall not wear » is indeed a worrying trend. In a period where the West seems to lose grasp with it's culture, the cure might actually be worst than the disease. Political power seem to be overdone and oppressive to it's fullest against citizens from all origins, shape and form.
For those who will consider an historical perspective to this present issue, the most shocking thing is that the West seemed to have been there, only 140 earlier. The similarities are uncanny...
What is wrong with a chick in a burkini? Not so much. She is unlikely to slit the throat of the sun bather next to her chanting Allahu Akbar. She will not direct her towel towards the Mecca for the mid-day prayer. Pissing everyone off is the specialty of Musilm men in groups. They are much better at doing that.
We in the West might wish to start by demanding of ourselves the same that we ask of those foreigners who are living in the West decently. What about the Whiskey Tangos of this world? Those hooked on a Pokemon Go binge at the beach this summer in their semi-nude apparels, filled of tattoos and booze. The very same that might spit at Muslims... In this issue, the people of Walmart seem to be exempt from any kind of criticism. Sadly, provocation today is tolerated only if it is trashy. The West is a decadent place indeed.
What can be disliked of modern politics is its inclination to go for the easy. The path of least resistance guides the majority of French nationalists (and now socialist prime Minister in need of affection Manuel Valls) in condemning the burkini. As it did in recent socialist politics to favor immigration over a critical observation of the West's puny birthrates. Let's be clear here, the burkini is not the issue. Mediocrity is...
All things being equal in a certain way, we would like to finish this article with a journey in the beautiful History of Western fashion and it's numerous retardations from the past. Fashion will make you do the stupidest things... Indeed!
You go girl!