Tensions high in Lebanon between feminists and Islamists after attacks on women in bikinis

Although Lebanese law does not prohibit the wearing of swimsuits in public, two bikini-clad women were attacked by Islamists on Saida’s public beach on Sunday, May 14. On charges of wearing “obscene” clothes, they were ordered to leave the premises, one of them was even attacked.

This case, uncovered by L’Orient le Jour, provoked reactions from religious leaders, elected officials and civil society. Clashes erupted last Sunday between feminist activists gathering in support of the victims and Islamists calling for demonstrations “for modesty, virtue and against nudity.”

What’s happened ?

That Sunday, two friends, a 26-year-old man and woman from Beirut, took advantage of the sunny day to go to Saida’s public beach, 40 kilometers south of the capital. An hour later, they are arrested by two sheiks (Muslim religious leaders, approx. ed.), according to Parisian Mario Dueri, a journalist for L’Orient le jour, who met with the main actors in the incident.

“They told them that the customs of Saida did not allow the presence of naked women in a public place, and asked the woman to get dressed,” explains Mario Dueri. The two friends are quickly surrounded by about thirty “supporters” to “intimidate” them. Not wanting to cause a stir, they left the beach.

At the same time, a few meters away, a group of Islamists grabbed the couple for the same reasons. “They came from Saida, the husband did not give in and replied that they were within their rights,” the journalist reports. The tone builds until the Islamists attack them physically: “They threw water bottles at them, threw sand in their eyes, kicked them… The couple ended up leaving. A few days later, the woman filed a complaint against the sheikhs.

Clashes during demonstration

The president of the Saida Municipal Council, the equivalent of a mayor, condemned the incidents, recalling that “no law or custom forbids women from swimming in bathing suits on the city’s public beach.” The two sheiks in question, one Lebanese, the other Palestinian, clarifies Mario Dueri, are known as “extremely radical Salafis” and would have acted on their own. In a press release, the Saida League of Muslim Ulema stood up for them and denied the violence.

On social media, the attack sparked a wave of solidarity. Some women posted photos of themselves in swimsuits with the hashtag #Saida to show their support. Feminist groups and activists then called for a gathering on Sunday May 21 to defend “freedom of expression and morality” and demand the right to access the beach without clothing restrictions. In response, a group of Islamists on the same day announced a counter-protest.

Despite the prohibitions of the municipality, two meetings took place. Then the demands of the feminists took on a different dimension, as on the night of Saturday to Sunday, the municipality of Saida decided to put up a sign at the entrance to the public beach: wearing “decent” clothes becomes mandatory. In other words, the bathing suit for women becomes forbidden.

Dozens of pro-freedom demonstrators were quickly attacked by another camp, requiring police intervention. Tensions broke out and three people were slightly injured, according to L’Orient le jour.

Fear of “radicalization”

The decision, taken on the fly by the municipality, to ban swimwear in Saïd, the legality of which is still in question, “is unheard of in Lebanese history since the collapse of the Ottoman Empire.” day of sociologist Wadd Charar. According to him, this was done “under pressure from some conservative Islamist figures, as well as for fear of reprisals.” A new phenomenon that worries Lebanon.

The woman attacked in Saida, who has been visiting the beach for a long time, herself told the Lebanese media that this was the first time she had been the victim of such a situation. “I think they allow themselves to behave this way because they see the decline of the state and its institutions,” she lamented.

Saida’s case has taken on such proportions because it raises “fears of radicalization and sectarian withdrawal,” alarmed Mario Dueri. “Lebanon is a cohabitation country, there have always been women swimming in bikinis, and that was never a question,” he says. “What happened is very shocking and disturbing. »