PENNES-MIRABEAU, FRANCE — A water park close to the city of Marseille has axed a one-day private event booked by Muslim women to were planning to wear burkinis and full-body swimsuits.
Water park officials and French authorities said in a statement that they wanted to preserve public order following outrage and debate sparked over the event.
“Neither Speedwater Park nor the town of Pennes-Mirabeau wish to be the side of public disorder,” they said in a joint statement.
“Extreme ideological positions are taking advantage of the controversy over this event to address conflicts in which Speedwater Park and the city of Pennes-Mirabeau do not wish to be involved,” the statement said.
The burkini day was only meant for women who chose to wear the swimsuit, according to BBC.
The organizers, Smile 13, had scheduled the event for September 10. It called for women to wear a swimsuit that covered from the chest to the knees. The group said that two-pieces would not be allowed.
Smile 13 also said that since announcing the event, they had received bullets sent in the mail.
Right-wing politicians and some local officials felt the event went against legally-enshrined secular values.
The park announced on Tuesday that it canceled Smile 13’s reservation, which had not yet been confirmed or paid for, according to BBC.
