At the Purkersdorf open-air swimming pool in the district of St. Pölten Land in Lower Austria, a 24-year-old woman wearing a burkini had to leave the pool, reports the daily newspaper Heute. As well as that the mayor wants to apologise for it. This causes quite a stir among the population.
Not a burkini, but a burka as a bathing costume
“The reports in the media were unfortunately not entirely correct,” the mayor of Purkersdorf, Stefan Steinbichler (SPÖ), told unzensuriert.at. In fact, the lady had worn a burqa while bathing, which was street clothing and not allowed for hygienic reasons. The mayor also said that his son was not allowed to go into the pool wearing a T-shirt.
Why then did he want to apologise to the Muslim woman, as had been claimed in the media, we wanted to know from the mayor? Steinbichler replied:
Not with the woman wearing the burqa, but with the woman in the burkini swimming costume, who also had to leave the water after there was a loud discussion about the burqa wearer and a whole group was asked to leave the bath.
Muslim woman quickly gained the attention of the media
Betül A., the Muslim woman wearing the burkini, was quickly in the news. The Kurier newspaper was the first to report, followed by the daily newspaper Heute. The 24-year-old felt “deeply hurt” were the headlines. And an equal opportunities commissioner immediately threatened the municipality of Purkersdorf with fines.
That Betül A.’s dignity had been violated and that she felt, as she complained to the media, “like a second-class human being” is something FPÖ constitutional spokesperson Susanne Fürst cannot understand. The bathing rules apply to everyone, she clarified on her Facebook page.
Mayor’s apology speaks volumes
According to Fürst, many swimming pools quite rightly demand appropriate, hygienically impeccable swimwear. If this is violated, one has to leave the open-air swimming pool. This has nothing whatsoever to do with being treated as a “second-class human being”. Fürst literally said:
If I go to the open-air swimming pool in my bikini in Islamic countries, more than just a polite escort out will happen! And I won’t find an equal opportunities commissioner there either.
Fürst added: “The fact that the mayor now wants to apologise to the ‘deeply injured’ bathing victim speaks volumes.
Sleeveless dress banned in Pisa Cathedral
Fürst is not alone in her opinion. In a survey by the daily newspaper Heute, 85 per cent said that pool rules were necessary because of hygiene. Evelin R. also wrote in a comment on Facebook:
I was not allowed to enter the Pisa Cathedral with my sleeveless dress a few years ago – EVEN though I am a Catholic and pay church tax. Neither the cathedral priest, bishop, pope, mayor nor anyone else apologised to me. So what, I am still alive today! Creating conflict and making headlines is somehow not my thing.
Protest against Islamic mores
Islamic mores are causing trouble not only in Austria. As reported, the mayor of Monfalcone in Friuli (Italy), Anna Maria Cisint, has protested against the bathing habits of Muslims. In an open letter to the town’s local Islamic community (population 30,000), she called for respect for local customs and traditions:
Those who come from other parts of the world have a duty to respect our rules and customs.