It was a perfect morning, last Monday. An unexpected 25°C/80°F, lots of sunshine and the inviting warm water of the Antwerp left bank Olympic open-air pool and recreational complex, right on the city riverbanks. A passing ocean liner, countless sailing boats: life felt good.
As it was still very early, the 50m/yard pool along with the grounds were virtually deserted, allowing me to take some shots of a place that tends to get very crowded during the summer. I talked with the life-guards, ignored the sour-faced lady at the ticket booth and generally enjoyed the water with my s/o. As more people entered the grounds I saw the opportunity to take an amazing shot: the river, the passing container ships and ocean liners, the superb elevated open-air pool and some very multicultural visitors: it would have made a great shot. Especially Moroccan juveniles and migrant families from across the globe have turned this pool into their favorite summer spot. As I’m living in a multicultural city with over 100 nationalities, I’m quite comfortable with lifestyles that strongly differ from my own. Live and let live.
But as soon as I pointed my camera towards a bathing Moroccan family all hell broke loose. “AAAAA”, a migrant woman screamed frantically as if she was being hit by a bus, pointing her finger in my direction, “STOP that PERVERT!”. Oh my… Given that she was wearing enough clothes to sink to the bottom of this pool instantly, I remained calm and stopped taking pictures. Hey, this was a public place and I had every right to take general scenic shots, but this dearest Muslim lady felt otherwise.
With this place being under camera supervision due to previous ethnic riots, it took less than 30 seconds before some very friendly staff intervened. While the woman kept on screaming, I quietly showed the pictures I had taken. The staff member agreed I had every right to make some scenic shots, but by now the whole Muslim family almost went into full frontal attack mode, somehow convinced that taking a Muslim woman’s picture virtually equaled rape. Hey boys, I’m GAY 
Unexpectedly the conversation totally escalated, with the Moroccan Berber Muslims throwing insults like “you filthy gay racist” in my direction, no matter what I did or said. “Time to call it quits”, my s/o said, “just leave these fanatics”. Reluctantly, I left the pool (not the grounds), making clear to the Moroccan screamer that I hoped she’d have a great time in the water, veiled with enough layers of clothing to make her sink to the pool bottom asap.
Looking back, this was insane. These Muslim migrants have lived in this town for years, facing the fact that this is a European city, with European laws and rules. Nobody forced this family into the left-bank open air pool and grounds. The knew what they could expect, and they sure knew people do take snapshots. Belgium has been very tolerant towards the behavior and lifestyle of Muslim migrants: ten local Mosques, a generation of unemployed juveniles and a religion that in its fundamental form is hardly compatible with Belgian customs.
Really, I couldn’t care less about religious or cultural habits. But hey, nobody is taking over my pool.
How would you react?
This blog is not affiliated with or endorsed by the city of Antwerp, Belgium.
i’d go swimming with them, being sure to splash a lot.
[Blog author comment: "I will furiousball, making sure to address them all in French, while insisting that the ground's visitors all give me a French kiss. Hey, I'm a member of the local gay minority and I demand and insist my human rights are respected
" ]
Comment by furiousball — June 6, 2008 @ 6:52 pm |
Wear my tiniest bikini ever, making sure my girls were bobbing nicely along the top of the pool water??
[Blog author comment: ":P - I can hear someone scream 'sacrilege!' from across the river Claudia
But seriously, I'm getting quite upset when someone tries to force their social or religious habits upon me. I grew up with Belgian chocolates and Brussels sprouts in a country that welcomed 100 different nationalities. I'm (mostly) respectful to my non-native fellow citizens, but their liberty to behave as they please ends where it infringes on mine." ]
Comment by Claudia — June 7, 2008 @ 6:52 pm |
“”But hey, nobody is taking over my pool.”"
Your pool has been taken over..you left, not them.
[Blog author comment: "You do have a very valid point. The next time (unless there is a possibility of out-of-context violence), I won't be Mister nice guy anymore."]
Comment by al — June 7, 2008 @ 8:49 pm |
You should have said, “You look so SEXY in your beach burka. I’m going to post this on the Internet so men from around the globe can *ENJOY* them!”
Or better yet, “I’m not interested in you Darlin, it’s your hairy man in his Speedo that’s rockin me”
Seriously, if modesty is such a concern, she shouldn’t go to a public pool. End of story. And the pool staff should have suggested she leave if she was that uncomfortable with someone taking photos.
[Blog author comment: "You're absolute right Veronica: she should have been asked to leave. But nobody did, as we're all constantly flooded with "be tolerant, be accepting of different cultural and social lifestyles" messages. Until we start accepting the unacceptable. Basically, It's time for a mentality change. By the way: I recently got new neighbors. They're from South America and my Spanish is kind of weak. But we get along just fine in English, with a natural respect towards each other. And that's what it's all about: respect. Regardless of their ethnic origins or religion, some people should be strongly corrected if they abuse their religion as a way to behave as if they owned the town."]
Comment by V — June 7, 2008 @ 8:50 pm |
Such anger and defensiveness do not really serve any purpose aside from reinforcing stereotypes, it seems. I guess being the maligned minority du jour comes with its own chip on the shoulder. Sounds like it was exciting, at least, and hey, it makes for a good story.
[Blog author comment: "V-grrrl called me on the phone today Granola-grrrl: we laughed about the whole incident and I mentioned I would be at this pool again on Monday. I should mention that this lovely pool comes with a less than pleasant reputation. Migrants youths beat up a lifeguard two years ago, followed by draconian security (12 video cameras, a security fence and intense police control). All is quiet now: these days neurotic muslim women with PMS are issues I can handle
What I really fear are the crazy 12 y olds, showing off their triple somersaults, potentially crashing on people swimming in the pool."]
Comment by Granola-grrrl — June 9, 2008 @ 2:16 am |
I know from experience that no matter what happens, “racist” seems to be the only word they know. Even though the offense didn’t have anything to do with race (like the 12y olds crashing people in the pool), if you say something about it to Muslims (and then I’m talking about the small group of Muslims actually acting stupid), they will call you a “racist”. So strange, it has nothing to do with race, I would say the same thing to “white” people. And honestly, I didn’t dare to go to that pool anymore, good to hear it’s doing better now, because it’s beautiful.
[Blog author comment: "Given that you know this Antwerp pool, your comment is right on target Marijke. A couple of years ago this beautifully located (and now totally renovated) Olympic Antwerp riverside pool had become the hang out of juvenile criminals, from all kind of nationalities, although some were more prominent than others. Violence erupted, gang-related issues chased away families, children and everyone just in need of a pool on a sunny day.
After a lifeguard ended up in hospital, Antwerp city finally acknowledged the problems: 12 surveillance cameras, a security fence, frequent police rounds: the tone was set.
It was 28°C (82°F) in downtown Antwerp today, so I revisited the pool and checked the "rules" upon entry: quite stringent, with clear zero tolerance for any violent incident. But these pool rules also mention that only regular swim wear was allowed, with the exception of T-shirt for people with disfiguring conditions (quite normal) and, hold your breath, "clothing with a religious origin". Totally weird.
Unfortunately, I've had the same issues with some (Moroccan Berber) Muslims: a polite "can you please stop your children from crashing on other customers?" too often incited a totally irrelevant "YOU RACIST!". I've had problems with Romanian, African and Belgian "white-trash", but they never tried to justify their behavior by calling me a "racist". Anyway, the pool was a welcome relief from the (temporary) heat today, but in general it does remain a (white/yellow/brown/black/green)-trash hang-out.
Given the unique location of this pool, that's really a shame.
Comment by marijke — June 9, 2008 @ 4:02 pm |
Well, these practices may occur with any group, regardless to religion. I say She shouldn’t have been in a public pool if she doesn’t like picture of her to be taken, and you Gay, you should have left them immidiately [comment cut by blog author]
[Blog author comment: "My name is Peter, not "Gay". Anyway, thank you 'El Camino' for commenting all the way from sunny Muscat, in the Muslim kingdom of Oman. Fortunately, I live in a European kingdom, where we value our freedom and enjoy a virtually total separation between religion and state. I also live in a free country where I can enjoy my full rights, without being religiously harassed (or even killed) for being gay and having a devoted male partner, like in several cute Muslim countries I visited in the passed. If you're a parent, I really pity you: just imagine your son would be born gay, having to live a life based on lies, in fear of his own family and Muslim Oman society.
In Belgium, we don't believe in such a society, nor do we believe in turning women in objects, veiled and stripped of most rights they enjoy in Western society.
The Muslim woman in the Antwerp pool was probably a victim of religious oppression: owned by her husband, fearful of stepping out of line by having her picture taken. The migrants in this country enjoy virtually total liberty: if they're Muslim they have their own places of worship, while Antwerp city even allows weird or cruel religious habits (like Muslim religious slaughter).
But we also believe that religious freedom ends where it infringes on Belgian laws protecting the freedom of others. With Antwerp being 90% non-Muslim, this majority shouldn't feel as if they had to adapt to the wimps of a few religious hard-liners.
As for this pool: it's a symbol of failed integration. In the 60's, Antwerp families enjoyed the water near the river. 40 years later, many locals are frightened to visit this place, frightened of a minority of often violent Berber juveniles.
Thank you for commenting anyway. This blog appears to be blocked in several hard-line Muslim countries." ]
Comment by El Camino — June 11, 2008 @ 8:17 am |
Some people still have SUCH a wrong understanding of Islam..However, it still shows the Belgian politeness over the Moroccan barbarism! I’m afraid I’m generalizing here, but in my country (Egypt) it’s not much of a difference. Even though Mrs. Tent-on-the-move might feel insulted to be shot in public for whatever reason that may be and as some European laws would give some rights for the person being shot, this is not legal issue here. Being polite and eloquent does not always fit with such people however
..which is SAD!
Glad you moved away – “Live and let live” should also make you enjoy a good day without being offended by Tent-on-the-move-alike people
[Blog author comment: "Thanks for posting this 'voice of common sense" from Egypt Mohamed, much appreciated."]
Comment by Mohamed — June 18, 2008 @ 3:49 am |
So do we get to see the pictures……or not? hidden link, or something? give the guys with a burka fetish something to see!
[Blog author: "I'm sorry Randy, but I see no point in accommodating these people who apparently enjoy being provoked. And I'm sure anyone with a Burka fetish can find plenty of pictures elsewhere."]
Comment by randy — July 15, 2008 @ 12:16 am |
Frankly, I get annoyed when men (or women, but worse if it’s men) I don’t know take my picture. It’s polite to at least ask before snapping away.
[Blog author: "You're posting this comment from London, Maria: check the 10,000 camera's watching your every move, 24/24 "]
Comment by maria — September 5, 2008 @ 9:41 pm |
I was in Texas with Muslims swimming in their full wear. How can they be allowed to do this. Why should the non-Muslims and others be put in a position to defend our rights in public. We adjust to the rules and regulations of the area we live in and adapt to it.
[Blog author: "Although I'm tolerant towards most religions, ethnic backgrounds and lifestyles, one's beliefs should not infringe upon the rights of others. I'm afraid some groups seem to adapt easily to their new home country (like the Chinese) while other groups try to impose their way of life on others. Tolerance is a two way street. "]
Comment by Wendy Chan — July 11, 2009 @ 12:47 am |