Bikinis, Burkinis, and Modesty: The Other Guy isn't Always Wrong

News from the United Kingdom:

"British swimming pools are imposing Muslim dress codes in a move described as divisive by Labour MPs."

"Under the rules, swimmers – including non-Muslims – are barred from entering the pool in normal swimming attire.

"Instead they are told that they must comply with the 'modest' code of dress required by Islamic custom, with women covered from the neck to the ankles and men, who swim separately, covered from the navel to the knees. [emphasis mine]

"The phenomenon runs counter to developments in France, where last week a woman was evicted from a public pool for wearing a burkini – the headscarf, tunic and trouser outfit which allows Muslim women to preserve their modesty in the water. [emphasis mine]

"The 35-year-old, named only as Carole, is threatening legal action after she was told by pool officials in Emerainville, east of Paris, that she could not wear the outfit on hygiene grounds...."
(telegraph.co.uk)

Men have a Right to be Titillated?

I think the Labor Members of Parliament have a point: this is a "divisive" point. Men in western countries have learned to expect the titillation of watching nubile young women bouncing in their bikinis on the beach. Depriving them of this (right?) certainly could be a "divisive" issue.

On the other hand, I'm not at all sure that something being done in France makes it sophisticated and/or a good idea.

Sure: right now, after decades of bikinis, hot pants and nipple rings, it's hard to imagine that anyone would be mean-spirited enough to deprive hot-blooded men of their jollies. Or women of the opportunity to be regarded as 3D living color moving centerfolds.

Bikinis, Modesty and the Other Guy

For several decades I've run into the assumption that there's a positive correlation between the acreage of female flesh exposed for ogling, and a country being 'civilized' - or advanced, or whatever.

One of the 'proofs' of how backward Islam is has been the habit some of Muslims to practice a degree of modesty that disappeared in America several generations back.

There's something to that argument. Quite a few crazy pronouncements have come from Saudi Arabia, for example.

On the other hand, the notion that women should not be regarded as sex objects is something that the sixties feminists, Catholics, and quite a few Muslims agree on - although I wouldn't lay any odds on too many members of the groups being aware of that solidarity.

One of these days, I'll write about Catholic beliefs and modesty - which is not a four-letter word. But today is Sunday, and I'm getting close to 'working' on the subject.

Which is a whole other topic.

Related posts:

• "Hijabs, Myths, and Flashing Flesh"
  Another War-on-Terror Blog (August 12, 2009)

In the news:

• "Swimmers are told to wear burkinis"
  telegraph.co.uk (August 15, 2009)