120
submitted 1 week ago by MicroWave@lemmy.world to c/world@lemmy.world

Syria issued a conservative new dress code Tuesday requiring women to wear burkinis or full-body swimwear on all public beaches, the latest cultural shift since Islamist-led rebels toppled dictator Bashar al-Assad’s regime last December.

The Tourism Ministry said the new guidelines were made in “the requirements of public interest.”

“Visitors to public beaches and pools, whether tourists or locals, are required to wear appropriate swimwear that takes into account public taste and the sensibilities of various segments of society,” Tourism Minister Mazen al-Salhani said in a directive posted to Facebook.

top 15 comments
sorted by: hot top controversial new old
[-] A_norny_mousse@feddit.org 15 points 6 days ago

A new government after the revolution. What is the first thing they do? Try to fix what is broken? No, oppress women some more!

[-] vantablack 4 points 6 days ago* (last edited 6 days ago)

christ, what a shithole. i would rather blow my brains out than ever be forced to wear a "burkini"

[-] burgerchurgarr@lemmus.org 2 points 6 days ago* (last edited 6 days ago)

Not good because no one should tell wear anyone what to wear or what not to wear. Let’s not forget the obsession of conservatives and even liberals with banning hijabs and niqabs in the western world under the guise of "liberating“ women. I find it ridiculous that the whole world seems obsessed with telling women how to dress.

Anyway, this is definitely a hint at the society they imagine and I don’t think it’s a good direction. On the other hand I think westerners don’t understand the Middle East either.

The Middle East is very much class divided and the upper class wouldn’t go to public beaches anyway, while middle class and below is usually very conservative, no matter which religion or even if not religious.

That’s why even without this ban you wouldn’t really see women in a bikini on public beaches because that’s not the culture. You can find it good or bad but that’s how the culture is. Even in Tunisia which people love mentioning it’s not a common thing.

If you go to hotels it’s gonna be different because that’s where all the rich locals will go to be on their own and usually they have a more "western" lifestyle. To illustrate, not even in hotels in Saudi Arabia would they enforce such a dress code (we’re talking about luxury hotels here) because money talks.

I don't labor under the belief that anyone operating in an area that fraught with fundamentalist religious groups controlling all key functions of society actually KNOW what their own culture is. If half your population can't speak freely, you don't have an accurate view of your people's beliefs.

[-] burgerchurgarr@lemmus.org 3 points 6 days ago

Yeah I mean that’s definitely true but I think it’s also very western centric to assume that everyone will automatically start stripping naked just because they can. I certainly don’t even though I absolutely can, and I don’t wanna take it away from anyone. It’s just not what I wanna do.

Yeah I'd agree with the idea that a society historically repressed would slingshot to nude beaches right away. I just wouldn't make commentary on how likely a populace of oppressed people might seek freedoms and make the same mistake of assuming what their culture is when neither of us has heard what the people of said country wants.

[-] burgerchurgarr@lemmus.org 2 points 6 days ago

I mean I’m from the Middle East just fucked off from there a while ago

And my neighbors are rural Trumpers. I still don't grasp what the hell it is they're after.

Big data, plot points from individuals, statistical regressions. That's what you need to make those claims. If not, it's personal anecdotes, personal anecdotes from someone who lived in the geographical region, yes, but just anecdotes.

[-] burgerchurgarr@lemmus.org 2 points 6 days ago* (last edited 6 days ago)

Fair enough, I don’t think you understand how different middle eastern societies are though from your individualistic American society. It’s normal to have 10 siblings and literally 100s of cousins and uncles/aunts. It’s normal to have family spread across the entire Middle East, the entire world actually. Our diaspora communities are huge, we have friends from all kinds of places and we talk a lot. In the end all I can offer you is a perspective, take it or leave it and most importantly enjoy your day!

[-] empireOfLove2@lemmy.dbzer0.com 48 points 1 week ago

Well any hope for the new government to be reasonable went right out the window.

[-] tal@lemmy.today 20 points 1 week ago

We used to have considerably-more-restrictive rules on women's swimwear ourselves in the US, not that long ago.

https://www.npr.org/sections/npr-history-dept/2015/08/11/430035360/sands-of-time-beach-etiquette-of-long-ago

A "beach cop" measures bathing suits in Washington, D.C., in 1922.

[-] Gsus4@mander.xyz 10 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

Dude's backed by trump, Erdogan and Saudis, did you expect him to be liberal?

[-] dinren@discuss.online 19 points 1 week ago

On the bright side, less skin cancer.

[-] idiomaddict@lemmy.world 2 points 6 days ago

Probably more drownings though :(

[-] dinren@discuss.online 2 points 6 days ago

Hey, at least your husband can’t beat you when you’re dead!

I’ll see myself out.

this post was submitted on 11 Jun 2025
120 points (100.0% liked)

World News

47555 readers
2873 users here now

A community for discussing events around the World

Rules:

Similarly, if you see posts along these lines, do not engage. Report them, block them, and live a happier life than they do. We see too many slapfights that boil down to "Mom! He's bugging me!" and "I'm not touching you!" Going forward, slapfights will result in removed comments and temp bans to cool off.

We ask that the users report any comment or post that violate the rules, to use critical thinking when reading, posting or commenting. Users that post off-topic spam, advocate violence, have multiple comments or posts removed, weaponize reports or violate the code of conduct will be banned.

All posts and comments will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis. This means that some content that violates the rules may be allowed, while other content that does not violate the rules may be removed. The moderators retain the right to remove any content and ban users.


Lemmy World Partners

News !news@lemmy.world

Politics !politics@lemmy.world

World Politics !globalpolitics@lemmy.world


Recommendations

For Firefox users, there is media bias / propaganda / fact check plugin.

https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/media-bias-fact-check/

founded 2 years ago
MODERATORS