Burquinis needed for UK pools

LONDON, England - British swimming pools have begun hosting special Muslim swim sessions during which swimmers, including non-Muslims, are banned from attending if their swimming attire does not comply with Islamic custom dress codes, says the Telegraph.

Under the rules, men must be covered from the naval to the knees, while women, who must swim separately, need to be covered from the neck to the ankles, according to the UK newspaper.

The special sessions in Britain have elicited anger from critics who say they are divisive and put a strain on relations between Muslims and non-Muslims, the Telegraph reported.

The trend counters developments in France, where a woman has threatened to sue after being told she could not wear her "burquini" — a headscarf, tunic and trouser swimsuit worn by Muslim women – on hygiene grounds, the paper said.

One British lawmaker defended the Muslim swim sessions, telling the Telegraph that they show an appreciation for certain religious groups who have strict rules on segregation for activities including sports.

Croydon council in south London runs separate one-and-a half-hour swimming sessions for Muslim men and women every Saturday and Sunday at Thornton Heath Leisure Centre reports the paper.

Swimmers were told on the centre's website that "during special Muslim sessions male costumes must cover the body from the navel to the knee and females must be covered from the neck to the ankles and wrists".

There are similar rules at Scunthorpe Leisure Centre in North Lincolnshire, North Woodside Leisure Centre in Glasgow, and at Blackbird Leys Swimming Pool in Oxford.

The Telegraph quotes Ian Cawsey, Labour MP for the North Lincolnshire constituency of Brigg and Goole, as saying that while swimming pools should have basic codes of dress, wearing "a particular type of clothes for the benefit of someone else" was not cohesive or integrative within socities.

Labour MP Anne Cryer, whose Keighley, West Yorkshire constituency has a large number of Muslims, said: "Unfortunately this kind of thing has a negative impact on community relations" reported the Telegraph. "It's seen as yet another demand for special treatment. I can't see why special clothing is needed for what is a single-sex session."

After discovering the rules at Thornton Heath one Croydon resident, 34-year-old Alex Craig, said: "I think it is preposterous that a council should be encouraging this type of segregation over municipal facilities" reported the paper.

Douglas Murray, director of the Centre for Social Cohesion condemned the practice saying "this kind of thing is extremely divisive."

Murray is also quoted in the Telegraph as saying that "it puts moderate Muslims in an awkward position as it suggests, wrongly, that they are not devout enough, simply because they choose not to cover themselves in a shroud in a pool."

- NZ HERALD STAFF