But later that month, a local administrative tribunal overturned the decision, a decision upheld on Tuesday by France’s top administrative court.
In its decision, the French Council of State referred to the principles of religious neutrality, concluding that allowing Burkina Faso would undermine “equal treatment of consumers so that the neutrality of the public service is compromised”.
“Contrary to the claimed goal of the city of Grenoble, the local initial decision to allow burqas was intended” only to satisfy a request of a religious nature, “the court said.
It is also said that the decision of Grenoble would allow some bathers to violate the “rules of hygiene and safety.”
Religious neutrality is embedded in modern French administrative principles, which were boosted last year by the so-called “separatism law” passed by Emmanuel Macron’s government.
Legislation backed by right-wing Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin explicitly prohibits actions “aimed at giving in to sectarian demands for religious purposes.”
Muslim women in France often face difficulties in accessing public services due to severe restrictions on religious beliefs, one of the reasons why such bans have been criticized by human rights defenders, including the UN Human Rights Committee.
