The city says steps would be taken in the new swimming pool to temporarily curtain the glass walls between the family pool and the school and sports pool as well as the glass façade. In November, another resident’s query had suggested that, because of the transparent design, Muslim groups would look for alternatives in the region. In the Frankenbad and Kurfürstenbad, male personnel had been given other work during the women’s swimming and representatives from Al Hilal took over the supervision. This could also be the case in the future.

Large numbers of local politicians support the continuation at the Wasserland pool as illustrated by the statement from Werner Hümmrich (FDP): “We don’t want to exclude any group from using the swimming pool and will therefore also address social demands.” Wolfgang Maiwaldt, head of the CDU district party expresses a similar view: “Our new swimming pool should and will be a pool for everyone.”

In contrast, the Bürger Bund Bonn (BBB) (Bonn citizen’s association) clearly rejects women-only swimming. “The religious planned differentiation of women stands in the way of their participation in a social life and above all does not make sense with regard to their children,” says group spokesman Marcel Schmitt. He asks how the compulsory participation of Muslim girls in school swimming can be justified if the separation of women is supported.

However, Bonn is by far not the first or only city to offer swimming for Muslim women. Nevertheless, there are also voices here that are fundamentally critical of the offer. The starting point is the question of how gender segregation fits into a western country in the early 21st century.

An argument raised by supporters of women’s swimming is namely that the offer is a contribution to participation and emancipation. As Bonn’s Integration Commissioner, Coletta Manemann, puts it: “The advantage of these courses is that religious women can take part who would not visit a swimming pool without this offer.” However, this swimming does not harm integration. “On the contrary,” says Manemann, who points out that there is great interest in the swimming courses among Muslim women. “I often find that women who take an active part in swimming also show great interest in social participation, especially for their children and families.”

The sociologist and women’s rights activist Necla Kelek sees it completely differently. Muslim girls and women in particular should avail themselves of the right to learn to swim, as swimming is part of freedom, the critic of Muslim politics told the General Anzeiger. She is strictly against setting up special swim times only for Muslim women. According to Kelek this is: “apartheid and an idea of conservative Muslim associations that preserve men’s rule over women”.

(Original text: Rüdiger Franz. Translation: kc)