Moroccan Woman Denied Entry to Hotel’s Swimming Pool for Wearing Burqini

Casablanca- A Moroccan woman from Oujda was denied entry to a hotel’s swimming pool in El Jadida (100 km southeast of Casablanca) for wearing a burqini—a “halal” swimsuit designed for Muslim women—according to Akhbar Al Yaoum in its Wednesday issue.

According to the same source, Ibis hotel’s lifeguards asked the woman to leave the swimming pool, stating, “burqinis are prohibited in our hotel”.

The hotel’s decision to ban the woman from the swimming pool was met with widespread indignation by the other hotel guests, who stood in solidarity with the woman against the hotel’s “unjustified swimming pool policy.”

The woman in question subsequently filed a complaint against the hotel to the PJD MP Abdelaziz Aftati. Aftati strongly condemned the hotel’s decision, in turn filling a complaint against the hotel to the Minister of Tourism, Lahcen Haddad, according to the same source.

However, this is not the first time a veiled woman was denied access to hotel services in Morocco. Last January, Cesar Hotel in Tangier decided to ban veiled women from entering its premises. The hotel’s controversial decision, made by its owner, sparked widespread public outrage.