Everybody out!
A top Mediterranean beach destination is blowing the whistle on an “indecent” form of swimwear — claiming that the allegedly revealing style favored by tourists “disturbs the population.”
But in the North African resort of Chetaïbi, Algeria, known for turquoise waters, rocky coves and forested hills, it’s not women in skimpy bikinis that have local officials crying out for a cover-up.
This time, it’s the men who have been found guilty of inflaming the passions of the purportedly prudish populace — with their apparent affinity for Bermuda shorts.
The town’s mayor issued an order banning male beachgoers from wearing the tempting trunks — mandating a return to the longer, looser style said to be preferred by conservative beachgoers in this part of the world.
The municipality of 8,000 residents welcomes hordes of visitors every summer — tourism being an important part of the local economy.
“The mood is warm, welcoming, colorful, bustling — no hostility toward bathers, not in words, not in looks. People here have a tradition of hospitality,” Salah Edine Bey, a longtime resident, told the Associated Press.
There was never much controversy — until earlier this month, when Mayor Layachi Allaoua had apparently, very literally, seen enough.
“These summer outfits disturb the population, they go against our society’s moral values and sense of decency,” the hot-and-bothered Hizzoner announced, per AP.
“The population can no longer tolerate seeing foreigners wandering the streets in indecent clothing,” he said.
The proclamation immediately sparked considerable local backlash — including in the regional capital Annaba, where lawmakers urged a reversal of the decision.
Within just two days, the mayor backtracked — taking to Facebook to insist that the decree was not driven by conservative pressure, but rather a hope to preserve “peace and tranquility.”
Algeria has struggled with Islamism for decades. The country endured a civil war that killed an estimated 200,000 people. In 1991, the army canceled elections that were going to be won by an Islamist party.
“Even though Islamists lost the war in the 1990s, they never gave up on their invasive and intrusive ideological project, which has gained ground in society,” sociologist Redouane Boudjemaâ told the AP.
For some people, this order on men’s swimwear reminded them of the times when Islamist-run municipalities tried to alter the public life in Algeria with its religious doctrine.
While Islamist parties don’t do well in elections, they still play a role in Algerian daily life.
Said Boukhlifa, a former senior official at the Ministry of Tourism, warned against conservative creep — saying it could ultimately hurt the country’s hopes to attract more vacationers to its shores.
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