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Burkini ban boosts sales ‘by 200 percent’

Marketplace Staff Aug 24, 2016
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Muslim models display burkini swimsuits at a shop in western Sydney on Friday. Part bikini, part all-covering burqa, the burkini swimsuit has sparked huge controversy in France. But in Australia, where the beach is a national obsession, it's seen as a symbol of inclusion, says its designer Aheda Zanetti. SAEED KHAN/AFP/Getty Images

Burkini ban boosts sales ‘by 200 percent’

Marketplace Staff Aug 24, 2016
Muslim models display burkini swimsuits at a shop in western Sydney on Friday. Part bikini, part all-covering burqa, the burkini swimsuit has sparked huge controversy in France. But in Australia, where the beach is a national obsession, it's seen as a symbol of inclusion, says its designer Aheda Zanetti. SAEED KHAN/AFP/Getty Images
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The French city of Cannes has stirred controversy among Muslims by banning the “burkini,” a special swimsuit that covers everything but the hands, feet and face.

In a statement, the mayor of Cannes, David Lisnard said “beachwear which ostentatiously displays religious affiliation, when France and places of worship are currently the target of terrorist attacks, is liable to create risks of disrupting public order.”

The woman who created the Burkini, Aheda Zanetti, told the BBC sales are up 200 percent following the controversy. France has for decades banned “conspicuous” religious clothing, but Quartz noted that women’s swimwear has been policed all around the world for decades.

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