Aman Ali, a BoingBoing guest blogger, is the co-author of 30 Mosques, a Ramadan adventure taking him to a different mosque in New York City every day for a month.
When I first heard of this product a few years ago, I'll admit it made me laugh, even with me being a Muslim. It's a swimsuit called the Burqini that's designed for Muslim women.
Men and women in Islam are both asked to dress modestly but many of the swimsuits designed for women today are too revealing to allow them to do that. As you can see, the Burqini doesn't show any skin but it's not too loose to the point where it's difficult to swim.
No woman should be denied the freedom to have a fun filled day at the pool or beach, which is why this company designed the Burqini. The more I thought about the product, the more I began to realize how awesome it is. It's another way Muslims have been able to adapt to local cultures and customs without compromising their beliefs, an issue many religions face today.
The Burqini has gotten a lot of backlash from governments in Europe. But I don't think any government has a right to tell people how to dress. How come a woman is not allowed to wear a burqini to a pool, but there's no law saying she can't wear a giant panda suit? If she wants to wear either of those outfits, hey go right ahead.
