Burkini ban: Malala's 2013 comment still relevant 3 years on

After France's ban on the burkini was challenged by rights groups all over, the country's highest administrative court on Friday suspended the controversial ban. The State Council ruled that local authorities could only restrict individual liberties if wearing the Islamic swimsuit was a "proven risk" to public order.

The ban had stirred a world-wide debate with people terming the ban as #Islamophobia.

A few days ago, pictures of armed police forcing a woman on a beach in Nice to remove her burkini went viral and received heavy criticism from across the world. Actress Sarah Silverman took to Twitter to call the act 'heinous'.

Fucking heinous, France. Who & what are you protecting, exactly? https://t.co/xdMyQfIgD2

— Sarah Silverman (@SarahKSilverman) August 23, 2016

However, the office of Nice's mayor denied that the woman had been forced to remove clothing, telling AFP she was showing police the swimsuit she was wearing under her top, over a pair of leggings, when the picture was taken .

The right to choose one's own outfits should be equal for both men and women, with no relation to their cast or religion. Discriminating against a type of clothing simply because it represents one's believes has been questioned since a long time.

Though the ban has now been revoked, the fact that a piece of clothing could be considered dangerous is a scary thought process to have. It takes one back to Malala Yousafzai's 2013 interview with The Guardian, where speaking about the burqa in the UK, the youngest-ever Nobel Prize laureate, rightly said, "If a woman can go to the beach and wear nothing, then why can't she also wear everything?" The young activist is known for human rights advocacy and female education.

Malala Yousafzai's words ring esp. true with France's burkini uproar: https://t.co/TkVq9Eq2SI #WomensEqualityDay pic.twitter.com/6TUUvBKLf2

— The Daily Beast (@thedailybeast) August 26, 2016

The freedom to dress in any way should be equal for everyone. And it is not just Malala supports that sentiment.

Post the ban, J.K. Rowling took to Twitter to slam the idea that the burkini can be a 'provocation'.

So Sarkozy calls the burkini a 'provocation.' Whether women cover or uncover their bodies, seems we're always, always 'asking for it.'

— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) August 25,2016
 

Here are a few more reactions from across the world:

Good news on #burkiniban overturned in one French town, but women should never need a court's validation to dress how we choose

— Zainab Chaudry (@zainabnc) August 26, 2016

France is changing in the wrong direction.... #Burkini pic.twitter.com/TWLUbMFnDE

— Voice of Europe (@V_of_Europe) August 26, 2016

After the burkini ban, people are asking if France can outlaw fat men in Speedos too https://t.co/pyEdM20jPH pic.twitter.com/JxZbL3aWOd

— The Independent (@Independent) August 25, 2016

Though the ban has now been revoked, it is yet to be seen how many resorts and authorities will actually follow the ruling and respect the burkini.