Why these photos are so ridiculous

THIS woman was napping on a beach, just minding her own business, when a group of police officers descended on her.

OPINION

EVER since childhood, most of us have had it drummed into our heads that you need to cover up on the beach.

If you were a child of the ‘80s there’s every chance this message was bought to you by a seagull with a lisp who strongly encouraged you to slip, slop, slap (slip on a shirt, slop on sunscreen and slap on a hat).

This woman in the blue, who is minding her own business on a beach in Nice, France would get two enthusiastic thumbs up from the Cancer Council.

A woman enjoys the sunshine in Nice.

But unfortunately for her, the beach is just a short distance from the site of the Bastille Day terrorist attack. And authorities in this particular area have decided to ban the burkini (the cover-up swimsuit favoured by Muslim women) because it could “cause offence”.

The police officers demanded that the woman take her long-sleeved shirt off, and fined her. Her ticket, seen by AFP, read she was not wearing “an outfit respecting good morals and secularism”.

Police officers approach the woman, who was napping.

According to reports, the officers forced her to remove her shirt.

The authorities believe it is “necessary, appropriate and proportionate” to prevent public disorder after a succession of jihadist attacks in France. They say the burkini is “liable to offend the religious convictions or [religious] non-convictions of other users of the beach,” and “be felt as a defiance or a provocation exacerbating tensions felt by” the community.

Nice and Cannes are among 15 French towns to have introduced a 38 euro ($56) fine for wearing the swimsuit.

Fundamentally, Muslim women in the south of France now have two options. Wear a swimsuit that compromises your religious beliefs, or don’t swim at all.

A woman wearing a full burkini.

Now, it is important to note that the woman in the blue isn’t actually wearing a burkini. She’s in a long sleeve top, a pair of leggings and a headscarf (that if worn in that manner by Beyonce on Instagram would be considered totally fashion forward).

Beyonce had better stay away from the beaches in the south of France.

She looks as if she wasn’t really planning on going to the beach that day, she’s just decided to sit in the sun for a short while, fully clothed. And somehow, in the current climate, that is a crime.

It’s stunning to consider that in the south of France this is offensive ...

... While this is OK.

Sadly, this isn’t an isolated incident.

Just hours earlier another young Muslim mother was removed from the beach at Cannes and fined, while swimming with her children.

According to reports three armed police officers pointed a can of pepper spray in the 34-year-old’s face.

She felt that the officers “simply wanted to humiliate her” in front of her children and other family members, even though she was not even wearing a burkini.

Identified only as Siam, the mother is a former air-hostess from Toulouse whose family members have been French citizens for at least three generations.

Siam, who was wearing leggings, a top, and a headscarf at the time, said: “I wasn’t even planning to swim, just to dip my feet.”

When asked why she was dressed “inappropriately”, Siam replied: “I didn’t know exactly what was going on, I hadn’t really followed the controversy.”

Just let this sink in. Men with guns forcing a women to undress, with the weight of the law behind them. pic.twitter.com/4BI16Bbss9

— Abdul-Azim আজিম (@AbdulAzim) August 23, 2016

Mathilde Cusin, a journalist with the France 4 TV channel who witnessed the incident, said: “I saw three police officers watching the beach. One of them had his finger on the trigger of his tear gas device.”

Even more devastating, people on the beach began applauding the police and shouting at the woman to “get out of France.”

Cusin said: “It was pretty violent. I had the impression of a pack going after a woman sitting on the ground, crying with her daughter.”

Siam accepted an on-the-spot fine and her details were recorded on what will amount to a criminal record.

She said: “Today we are not allowed on the beach. Tomorrow, the street? Tomorrow, we’ll be forbidden from practising our religion at all?”

How is recreational swimwear OK ...

But religious swimwear, which is pretty much the same, is not?

David Lisnard, the right wing Republican Party mayor of Cannes who introduced the burkini ban in the first place, defended the police officers’ behaviour.

Lisnard said all “beach dress that ostentatiously shows a religious affiliation” was unwelcome at a time when France was a target for Islamic State.

He said any dress that might be linked with the terrorist group was offensive and risked provoking people.

Frankly, the images of a woman napping on a beach and being surrounded by police officers who force her to take her clothes off are what’s provocative here.

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if something akin to the “I’ll ride with you” campaign took off in the south of France and everyone, regardless of religion, went out and purchased a burkini and wore it to the beach in solidarity? It would have the added side benefit of reducing instances of skin cancer. Win win.

We wish that woman on the beach felt confident enough to tell those police officers to rack off, a seagull with a lisp told her to dress like that.