PARIS – French officials say a Muslim woman wearing a head-to-toe swimsuit has been denied access to a public swimming pool in a town southeast of Paris.
Emerainville Mayor Alain Kelyor said Wednesday the 35-year-old woman was not allowed to swim in the pool wearing a so-called "burquini" covering her body from head to toe.
Officials say the outfit is unhygienic and potentially harmful to other swimmers.
The woman, a convert to Islam, has complained to police that the ban is discriminatory.
The incident adds to controversy over the wearing of the head-to-toe burqa or other full-body coverings worn by some Muslim fundamentalists. President Nicolas Sarkozy wants them banned.
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