Mayor says it's 'unacceptable' for Muslims to bathe fully clothed on beaches

(ANSA) - ROME, JUL 19 - The mayor of a seaside resort in northern Italy has described as "unacceptable" the Muslim practice of bathing fully clothed on grounds it is creating serious consequences for decorum.
    The beach of Marina Julia in Monfalcone near Gorizia in Friuli Venezia Giulia is a tourist destination and therefore "the behaviour of Muslim foreigners who habitually enter the water with their clothes on is unacceptable," Mayor Anna Maria Cisint told the local Muslim community in an open letter published Wednesday.
    "(It is) a practice that is causing bewilderment and that creates intolerable consequences for the preservation of decorum," she added.
    "People who come from contexts that are different from our own have an obligation to respect the rules and customs," continued Cisint.
    "The practice of entering the beach and the water wearing clothing other than swimwear must end," she insisted.
    In the letter Cisint, who is serving her second mandate with the right-wing government coalition partner League led by Matteo Salvini, also announced "special measures to protect the general interest of the city and our fellow citizens". (ANSA).