The uproar over the ban on a burkini in France intensified on Tuesday after photos of French policemen forcing a woman to take it off went viral.
The Australian woman credited with creating the burkini, on Wednesday however, said that the ban has had an unprecedented effect – it has boosted sales.
48-year-old Aheda Zanetti, the woman who possesses a trademark on the name burkini and burqini, “said online sales were up by 200%,” reported BBC. A burkini is swimwear which combines the ‘burqa’ with a ‘bikini’, leaving only the face, hands and feet visible.
According to Zanetti, the burkini symbolises freedom and healthy living, not oppression or subjugation.
Zanetti further said that the intention behind the piece of clothing was to allow Muslim women to “participate in the Australian beach lifestyle.”
The design of the burkini is also partially inspired by news reports of French authorities banning the hijab in schools as it defies laws on secularism.
The burkini ban has already created a public outrage after Muslim women refused to accept that burkini is regressive, as believed by the authorities.
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