Burqini Making Waves in Australia

The beaches of Australia are filled with scantily clad, suntanned bodies of young beachgoers, surfers and lifeguards. This used to pose a dilemma for young Muslim woman but a desire to join Australia's lifesaving clubs has prompted an evolution in swimwear fashion: the burqini.

The burqini adheres to cultural traditions. It is a head-to-toe two piece lycra suit that includes a hijab, an Islamic head covering. The name derives from the suit's attempt to find a compromise between the burqa and the bikini.

The burqini is loose enough to meet cultural requirements but light enough to be worn swimming.

It is helping to change the identity of Surf Life Saving Australia, the epitome of Australian beach culture with its macho cowboy public image -it wasn't until 1980 that women were allowed to join.

As the nation's largest volunteer movement, Surf Life Saving Australia has over 115,000 lifesavers throughout the continent with over 300 clubs. The organization's unpaid members have saved over 500,000 lives throughout its 100 year history.

The burqini is part of an initiative to diversify the organization's clubs to better represent Australia's population. A campaign to recruit Australians of Middle Eastern heritage is funded by a grant from the federal government.

Lifesaver's attire was an obstacle to Surf Life Saving Australia's new mission to recruit from the Muslim community. The burqini now being offered by the organization was created by Aheda Zanetti, a Lebanese-born mother of four from Sydney.

Ms. Zanetti designed yellow and red burqini's to match the Surf Life Saving Australia's beach wear. It is a vital part of helping Muslim women attempt a 10-week training course, the first step to becoming a lifesaver with the distinguished Australian institution.

Zanetti said that sales of the burqini have soared through word of mouth. The suits are selling for about $30 USD to Muslims and others seeking modest beachwear, like burn patients.

The burqini's debut this month coincides with Surf Life Saving Australia's 100^th anniversary.

It also comes just a year after a violent clash between white Australians and immigrants from Middle Eastern countries. The violence that occurred near Christmas 2005 revealed a racist divide in the country and shocked the continent.

Jamal Rifi, president of one of Surf Life Saving Australia's clubs, hopes the organization's initiative will help heal some wounds inflicted by the recent violence. He told Australia's Sunday Telegraph "It's about counteracting the negative stereotyping of Muslims, which has been very bad over the last five years. Our greatest enemy is ignorance."

Sources:

"Aussie lifesavers recruit Muslims with the 'burqini'" Barbie Dutter, Sunday Telegraph, Nov 25, 2006.

"On Aussie beaches, burqa plus bikini equals burqini" Nick Squires, The Christian Science Monitor, Jan 9, 2007.