There's always the option of taking a dip in the water in full hijab, which I've personally witnessed several times. "Veil shed for bikini on Egypt's women-only beaches," from AFP, August 15:
MARINA, Egypt (AFP) — Islamic hymns fade out giving way to Arabic pop music as women remove their veils to reveal bikinis or one-piece swimsuits at a religiously correct beach for women only in Egypt.Welcome to "La Femme", French for "The Woman", in the posh resort of Marina, where women can lounge on sunbeds, tan, join in a daily belly-dance contest or breastfeed their babies shielded by barriers of palm tree branches from the prying eyes of men.
The branches even stretch into the Mediterranean sea to give maximum shelter to the women, who have faced the constraints of growing conservatism in this mostly Muslim country.
"Sometimes I turn around and look behind to make sure there are no men. And, thank God, there aren't any," said Safa, a Cairo resident in her 60s, who enjoys the privacy of La Femme beach club.
"It is 'haram' (forbidden in Islam) to strut around in front of men in a swimsuit," she said, as she basked in the sun. "It is an excellent idea to have a beach reserved for women only."[...]
At mixed beaches where women and men are allowed, many girls shield themselves by wearing so-called 'sharia' (Islamic law) swimsuits that cover them from the neck down to the ankles and look more live diving suits.
"The 'sharia' swimsuits are not practical," said Marwa, who says she is as happy as a "fish in water" at La Femme, where she feels she can be herself.
The only moment of concern for Marwa is when young men riding jet skis try to inch their way closer to the coast to sneak a view of the women.
To ensure the women's "sanctity", guards at the entrance to the club search all the beach bags to keep out any cameras that could be used to take pictures of bikini-clad bathers that could end up on the Internet.
La Femme is not the sole women-only beach to make a brisk business in Egypt. The first of its kind, Yachmak, opened in 2004.
At the time, its founder Walid Mustafa told reporters: "At the end of the day we belong to a conservative society. We cannot forget that."
"We need to respond to the needs of the community."
In the view of sociologist Dalal al-Bizri, Egypt is gripped by "a sort of religious hysteria." Beaches like La Femme "reflect the general mood in the country," where some 80 percent of women today wear the veil, she said.
Egypt was once was one of the most liberal Arab countries and the first to give women the franchise in 1956.
But after an increase in religious conservatism in recent decades -- the key opposition group is now the Islamist Muslim Brotherhood that promotes sharia -- bare-headed women have become a small minority and many of them are Coptic Christians, who account for only a slice of the country's 80 million people.
Officially, however, wearing the head veil is not required, as it is in strictly conservative Muslim nations such as Saudi Arabia or Iran.
Many women themselves say they seek out segregated beaches like La Femme out of religious considerations, but they have their critics.
A security guard posted a few yards outside the beach club argued that such places catering to the whims of women were just another form of "decadence".
A motorist agreed.
"These women should fear God, not men," he said, asking why they could not keep the belly-dancing for home and family events.
I went and bought myself a ticket and I sat down in the very first row
They pulled the curtain but then when they turned the spotlight way down low
Little Egypt came out a-struttin' wearin' nothin' but a button and a bow
Singing, ying-ying, ying-ying, ying-ying, ying-ying
She had a ruby on her tummy and a diamond big as Texas on her toe
She let her hair down and she did the hoochie-coochie real slow
When she did her special number on the zebra skin I thought she'd stop the show
Singing, ying-ying, ying-ying, ying-ying, ying-ying
She did her triple somersault and when she hit the ground
She winked at the audience and then she turned around
She had a picture of a cowboy tatooed on her spine
Said, Phoenix, Arizona 1949
Yeh, let me tell you people Little Egypt doesn't dance there anymore
She's too busy mopping and a-takin' care of shopping at the store
'Cos we've got seven kids and all day long they crawl around the floor
Singing ying-ying, ying-ying, ying-ying, ying-ying
(Words & music by Leiber - Stoller)
with the 2008 olimpics on i wounder if egypt or any of the muslim countrys have any women in the swimming events because even wearing a burkiny i can see there times being 2 hours for the 100 meater butterfly
I dream of the day we deport ALL mohammedans from America and allow the Christian dhimmi of Mohammedanstan a country of their own--Running from Morocco to the Sinai, most of Iraq, Syria and and Lebanon. Anatolia is Greek, send the Turks back to Turkestan, the one in China. Or we could send all the mohammedans to the south of Russia EAST of Georgia.
ROTFLMAO!
I can just picture some 80 year old grandma belly dancing at a family dinner ... in front of the little boys.
Ohmygod!
These guys really are WAY past kinky.
There needs to be a boycott against all Islamic countries which discriminate against women competing in Olympic events.
Robert, could you start this campaign, so that the 2012 Olympics will be free from countries which practice gender apartheid?
How pathetic. Young men edging ever closer on their jet skis, just to get a look at women in bathing suits. Talk about sexually repressed.
"A security guard .....argued that such places catering to the whims of women were just another form of "decadence".
A motorist agreed.
"These women should fear God, not men," he said...."
Left unspoken is the fear and hatred of women, those evil creatures. They shouldn't be allowed to have fun, to feel the breeze on their skin, to soak up some of the Vitamin D their poorer sisters are denied.
I imagine the level of loving sexual dalliances between women (not necessarily lesbians for life), is high in such places. Do you suppose they have female morality police cruising around, on the lookout for the illicit caress?
Islam: A series of Abilene Paradoxes resulting in a hateful, unhappy and incompetent society.
From Wikipedia--The Abilene paradox is a paradox in which a group of people collectively decide on a course of action that is counter to the preferences of any of the individuals in the group. It involves a common breakdown of group communication in which each member mistakenly believes that their own preferences are counter to the group's and do not raise objections.
said Marwa, who says she is as happy as a "fish in water" at La Femme
--to paraphrase Gloria Steinem, "A woman needs a Muslim like a fish needs a bicycle".
"Left unspoken is the fear and hatred of women, those evil creatures.
ImNoDhimmi,
Exactly! That fear and hatred is so intense, it's a shame we can't figure out how to make a weapon of it.
On the lighter side, also left unspoken, is that the guard's job depends on these dreadful beings going to the beach.
"Sometimes I turn around and look behind to make sure there are no men. And, thank God, there aren't any,"
Sounds like a vacation paradise for lesbians.
Not to have Muslim men around is a little bit of heaven for these oppressed dames.