Amid the bitter row about France's burkini bans, French Prime Minister Manuel Valls suggested on Monday that "naked breasts" are the representation of women's rights in France, rather than Muslim headscarves. "Marianne has a naked breast because she nourished the people. She was not veiled because she is free. That is the Republic. That is Marianne," said the prime minister at a government meeting in Colomiers, as reported by the Local France. Valls' statement about the naked breast of Marianne, a national symbol of the French Republic, sparked controversy in many circles with some French politicians noting that Marianne's head was in fact covered while her breast was exposed.
The French prime minister is known for his severe critiques of Muslim headscarves. Despite France's highest court ruling on the burkini ban, he showed support for French mayors who imposed a ban on the burkini. Around 30 towns have banned the burkini from their beaches, with some mayors linking the bans to the July 14 jihadi lorry attack in the city of Nice that killed 86 and the murder of a Catholic priest near the city of Rouen by the radical DAESH sympathizers. Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy also said Monday that he will change the country's Constitution to include a ban on full-body burkini swimsuits if he is re-elected to his former role in a vote next April. Positioning himself as a defender of French values and being tough on immigration, the conservative said last week that he would impose a nationwide ban on the swimwear that has divided the socialist-led government and dominated French political debate through much of August.
Meanwhile, the choice of 77-year-old former Defense Minister Jean-Pierre Chevenement to head the "Foundation for Islam" has sparked controversy, with many observers asking why a Muslim was not given the role. France's government sought Monday to open a new chapter in relations with the country's Muslims after a summer scarred by terrorist attacks and a ban on the modest swimwear that ratcheted up communal tensions. France's Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve met with senior Muslim representatives and agreed that efforts to foster good relations will include the creation of an Islamic foundation, funded solely with money from within France. Anouar Kbibech, leader of the French Council of the Muslim Faith (CFCM), said he hoped Monday's talks were the start of a new chapter in relations.
