Private beach area for Muslim Women Planned in Italy

[hurriya 0]

Beach for Muslim Women Planned in Italy

By ARIEL DAVID, Associated Press Writer

5 hours ago

ROME - Hotels at an Italian seaside resort are eager to act on the town's decision to authorize the creation of all-female beach sections for Muslim women, with at least one hotel owner saying Friday that plans are already under way to open the first of such secluded areas next month.

The city council of Riccione, a popular resort on Italy's Adriatic coast about 90 miles east of Florence, has said it is prepared to authorize requests to set up partitions on parts of the shoreline to satisfy requests from the town's growing numbers of Arab and Muslim tourists.

"They can have anything they want, but they can't go to the beach, at least not without all those heavy clothes," Attilio Cenni, owner of the upscale Grand Hotel des Bains, said of his female Muslim guests.

Cenni said he plans to open the first secluded section starting in September on a stretch of shoreline of about 1,000 square meters (10,000 square feet) and to expand further next season across the more isolated beaches on Riccione's outskirts.

He also plans a TV advertising campaigns in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, Cenni told The Associated Press in a telephone interview.

Popular with German and French tourists, Riccione's mass-tourism venues have recently started to attract thousands of Arab and Muslim visitors each year, mostly from the conservative Arabian peninsula, city officials say.

Supporters of the idea say that the separate beaches would allow observant Muslim women to shed their headscarves and long robes and enjoy the sun in privacy; religious restrictions otherwise oblige them to cover up if men are present.

"I can only be in favor of such a proposal," said Tomas Corazza, manager of the Hotel Mediterraneo. "It allows them to use the beach while respecting their traditions and their religion."

Corazza didn't have immediate plans to open a beach for Muslims this season but said he would advertise this new feature in a mailing list he sends to some 3,000 Arabs who are frequent guests at the hotel.

Cenni said he was already discussing with authorities the only snag in the proposal _ the fact that the partitions won't reach into the sea but will have to stop short of the waterline to allow public passage.

While Riccione's municipality would consider authorizing the construction of reserved seaside swimming pools, Cenni said he hopes he will be allowed to close-off the entire beach with covered partitions and have female lifeguards patrol the sea in water scooters to keep men away. In Italy, all shorelines must be accessible to the public.

"That sounds a little bit like a fantasy," said Andrea Cicchetti, a spokesman for Riccione's mayor.

But Cenni insists that if the partitions are mounted on isolated beaches the inconvenience to passers-by and swimmers will be minimal, allowing his guests to swim without having to don headscarves and robes again.

"These are areas where there is little passage and any problem could be solved with common sense and sensitivity," he said. "We want to make a beach where these ladies will be free."

[Henia 11]

Beach for Muslim Women Planned in Italy

By ARIEL DAVID, Associated Press Writer

5 hours ago

ROME - Hotels at an Italian seaside resort are eager to act on the town's decision to authorize the creation of all-female beach sections for Muslim women, with at least one hotel owner saying Friday that plans are already under way to open the first of such secluded areas next month.

The city council of Riccione, a popular resort on Italy's Adriatic coast about 90 miles east of Florence, has said it is prepared to authorize requests to set up partitions on parts of the shoreline to satisfy requests from the town's growing numbers of Arab and Muslim tourists.

"They can have anything they want, but they can't go to the beach, at least not without all those heavy clothes," Attilio Cenni, owner of the upscale Grand Hotel des Bains, said of his female Muslim guests.

Cenni said he plans to open the first secluded section starting in September on a stretch of shoreline of about 1,000 square meters (10,000 square feet) and to expand further next season across the more isolated beaches on Riccione's outskirts.

He also plans a TV advertising campaigns in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, Cenni told The Associated Press in a telephone interview.

Popular with German and French tourists, Riccione's mass-tourism venues have recently started to attract thousands of Arab and Muslim visitors each year, mostly from the conservative Arabian peninsula, city officials say.

Supporters of the idea say that the separate beaches would allow observant Muslim women to shed their headscarves and long robes and enjoy the sun in privacy; religious restrictions otherwise oblige them to cover up if men are present.

"I can only be in favor of such a proposal," said Tomas Corazza, manager of the Hotel Mediterraneo. "It allows them to use the beach while respecting their traditions and their religion."

Corazza didn't have immediate plans to open a beach for Muslims this season but said he would advertise this new feature in a mailing list he sends to some 3,000 Arabs who are frequent guests at the hotel.

Cenni said he was already discussing with authorities the only snag in the proposal _ the fact that the partitions won't reach into the sea but will have to stop short of the waterline to allow public passage.

While Riccione's municipality would consider authorizing the construction of reserved seaside swimming pools, Cenni said he hopes he will be allowed to close-off the entire beach with covered partitions and have female lifeguards patrol the sea in water scooters to keep men away. In Italy, all shorelines must be accessible to the public.

"That sounds a little bit like a fantasy," said Andrea Cicchetti, a spokesman for Riccione's mayor.

But Cenni insists that if the partitions are mounted on isolated beaches the inconvenience to passers-by and swimmers will be minimal, allowing his guests to swim without having to don headscarves and robes again.

"These are areas where there is little passage and any problem could be solved with common sense and sensitivity," he said. "We want to make a beach where these ladies will be free."

Wow would''nt that be great !!!! Mashallah!!!!

[dollface41601 0]

Not to sound stupid but wouldnt they have to put up walls and a ceiling, and if so, how would that be possible?

[Sofiyya 1,687]

Jinns can still see them.

[Mrs. Forgetful 2]

I don't think I'd still feel comfortable knowing that people could still walk by and see me in the water. The whole area would have to be boxed off with really high walls. Well I guess we'll have to see how it turns out.

[~Jess~ 0]

there are a few women beaches in lebanon. we were gonna go to one but george had off the day we went so we went to the other one. they look pretty secure. long high walls.

[lostinlove228 0]

I've gone several times in lebanon. The way they seclude those makes it impossible to be seen unless you are using a telescope. The cutoff for ships going through is pretty far into the waters, the walls are high. You can get sun and in the waves without any problems. It's not that difficult to do. And it's a very healthy thing. Psychologically and phisically since the lack of sun in associated with depression. I know that I love the feeling of the hot sun against my skin. No beach for me this year.

Jinns can still see them.

They can see you in the shower also. Please shower fully closed. OHH in your bedroom also.

[Veiled Princess 1]

Jinns can still see them.

They can see you in the shower also. Please shower fully closed. OHH in your bedroom also.

[Sofiyya 1,687]

That's my point. There is no place that is totally safe, so what's the big deal?

If you want to believe you're safe, you are to say "'In the name of Allah besides Whom there is no other god'." According to the Prophet, this will shield you from the eyes of the jinn. Try it in the shower, ladies. If you haven't been doing so, it's likely you've been seen by jinns.

Edited August 6, 2006 by szsz

[Bosco 1]

That's my point. There is no place that is totally safe, so what's the big deal?

If you want to believe you're safe, you are to say "'In the name of Allah besides Whom there is no other god'." According to the Prophet, this will shield you from the eyes of the jinn. Try it in the shower, ladies. If you haven't been doing so, it's likely you've been seen by jinns.

The jinn can consider themselves lucky

No offense intended to anyone who feels differently - this is just my opinion - but what I take from the Qur'an and ahadith is a message of modesty as a means of self-respect (and respect to God, your husband, etc). It seems this often translates into a fear of being seen, or a reaction of harm/embarassment/indignation/etc if you are inadvertently seen. In other words, modesty is a positive thing but it doesn't necessarily follow that any bad feeling should ensue if you happen to be seen.

[Together4ever 1]

That's my point. There is no place that is totally safe, so what's the big deal?

If you want to believe you're safe, you are to say "'In the name of Allah besides Whom there is no other god'." According to the Prophet, this will shield you from the eyes of the jinn. Try it in the shower, ladies. If you haven't been doing so, it's likely you've been seen by jinns.

The jinn can consider themselves lucky

No offense intended to anyone who feels differently - this is just my opinion - but what I take from the Qur'an and ahadith is a message of modesty as a means of self-respect (and respect to God, your husband, etc). It seems this often translates into a fear of being seen, or a reaction of harm/embarassment/indignation/etc if you are inadvertently seen. In other words, modesty is a positive thing but it doesn't necessarily follow that any bad feeling should ensue if you happen to be seen.

Thanks Rebecca, you gave voice to what I was thinking. I will come back to saying what I have said before, intention is the key. If you are inadvertently seen, but your intention was to be modest... well as it's said "Allah knows what's in your heart." That's enough for me.

[Veiled Princess 1]

That's my point. There is no place that is totally safe, so what's the big deal?

If you want to believe you're safe, you are to say "'In the name of Allah besides Whom there is no other god'." According to the Prophet, this will shield you from the eyes of the jinn. Try it in the shower, ladies. If you haven't been doing so, it's likely you've been seen by jinns.

The jinn can consider themselves lucky

No offense intended to anyone who feels differently - this is just my opinion - but what I take from the Qur'an and ahadith is a message of modesty as a means of self-respect (and respect to God, your husband, etc). It seems this often translates into a fear of being seen, or a reaction of harm/embarassment/indignation/etc if you are inadvertently seen. In other words, modesty is a positive thing but it doesn't necessarily follow that any bad feeling should ensue if you happen to be seen.

Thanks Rebecca, you gave voice to what I was thinking. I will come back to saying what I have said before, intention is the key. If you are inadvertently seen, but your intention was to be modest... well as it's said "Allah knows what's in your heart." That's enough for me.

The jinn are different from men... we say "bismillah" when removing our clothes in private to protect us from the jinn seeing us... for men (and women) we have to dress modestly...

I like the idea of private beaches and if it's secluded and some man is spying on women without their knowledge then that's his sin not ours inshallah.

[Sofiyya 1,687]

No offense intended to anyone who feels differently - this is just my opinion - but what I take from the Qur'an and ahadith is a message of modesty as a means of self-respect (and respect to God, your husband, etc). It seems this often translates into a fear of being seen, or a reaction of harm/embarassment/indignation/etc if you are inadvertently seen. In other words, modesty is a positive thing but it doesn't necessarily follow that any bad feeling should ensue if you happen to be seen.

I'm quite sure I never said anything about not being modest, but the proposal is less than impressive.

I like the idea of private beaches and if it's secluded and some man is spying on women without their knowledge then that's his sin not ours inshallah.

I don't see anything exciting about this. What they are proposing are large sand boxes for Muslim women coming from Arab countries, walled, covered and not reaching to the water. Italian law doesn't allow for closed waterways, so they're not private beaches. Ho hum! Arabs have lots of sand at home, so sand boxes like that will be a big draw!

Not!

My advice is to wait to see if a private beach (meaning one with water) actually happens, then make plans to fly off to Italy to use it. For now, it's mere speculation. But, hey, intention trumps reality!

Edited August 6, 2006 by szsz

[Bosco 1]

No offense intended to anyone who feels differently - this is just my opinion - but what I take from the Qur'an and ahadith is a message of modesty as a means of self-respect (and respect to God, your husband, etc). It seems this often translates into a fear of being seen, or a reaction of harm/embarassment/indignation/etc if you are inadvertently seen. In other words, modesty is a positive thing but it doesn't necessarily follow that any bad feeling should ensue if you happen to be seen.

I'm quite sure I never said anything about not being modest, but the proposal is less than impressive.

I wasn't responding to anything what you wrote, but rather the idea itself that "being seen" is something that a woman should feel bad about. I think feeling good about being modest doesn't equal feeling bad or violated if that inadvertently doesn't happen - that there was nothing puritanical about being modest.

I also think modesty has in many ways has become a restriction, limiting women in what they can do for fear of "being seen" or making a moving in a way that could somehow entice - by all accounts, the Prophet's wives as well as other women of his time lived full, active lives. Likewise, being modest doesn't mean dressing Arab.

[lostinlove228 0]

what's "dressing Arab" There is Islamic Dress but what's dressing arab. I don't think you are going to have that people working that hard to spy. There are plenty of practily naked women running around. Italy isn't the first country to have blocked off women only beaches. By the way the beaches is lebanon are on the ocean. Just the view is blocked off. Actually men who don't go to mixed beaches are the ones that are restricted. They don't have men only beaches.