I just cannot see forcing a woman to reveal a part of her body she is not comfortable revealing as

[MADem]

98. They could wear yoga pants, a large floppy hat and a long t shirt and get the same effect.

Have the same "modesty" and coverage, without calling attention to themselves. The ethnic dress does call attention to themselves, which is, in actual fact, at odds with what they're trying to achieve--IF they're wearing the clothing as a religious and not a political statement.

The objection that the French are expressing has to do with garments being associated with a conservative religious bent. Given that the beach where they're enforcing this ban has a promenade where many people were mowed down by a religious zealot, the police do have the support of the population.

The French aren't like us. They don't 'do' multiculturalism. We're a nation of people from all over the world and we cut people a lot of slack to be "not like us," they're a nation of French people--and those who aren't French, who move to France, have got to "get the spirit" and adjust to the culture.

They've ALWAYS been this way--it's not new. They've always had laws about the proper use of the French language, and they've nannied their population with regard to their culture in other ways, as well. They are INTENT upon preserving that which makes a Frenchman (or woman) different from other people in Europe.

It's just that most other groups that came to live in France got in line and assimilated...but the conservative muslims who are moving in are having a more difficult time adjusting.

The French are getting all the attention for being hardasses on this score, but they aren't the only ones who place limits on the freedom of their immigrant population to express themselves.

This is a good discussion of the issue, I think:

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/19/world/europe/frances-burkini-bans-are-about-more-than-religion-or-clothing.html?_r=0