Has Germany's iconic Oktoberfest dress become Islamic?
"In my burkirndl anyone can see where I come from," says German woman who designed the Islamic-styled variation of the traditional Bavarian dress.
By JPOST.COM STAFFUpdated: SEPTEMBER 15, 2016 13:38Models pose in the street wearing traditional Bavarian dresses known as a Dirndl, in the national colours of Germany for Euro 2016, in Munich, Germany, June 10, 2016.(photo credit: REUTERS/MICHAELA REHLE)
As the debate over burkini continues, a new variation based on the traditional Islamic burka has emerged in Germany.A woman in Germany has adapted the traditional Bavarian dress, the dirndl, to reflect modest dress codes after converting from Christianity to Islam, according to the Daily Mail.The 63-year-old from the German city of Fensterbach, Renate Hoffman used to sing in the local choir and attend local festivals dressed in the Bavarian garment that is associated with the likes Oktoberfest and designed to highlight the female figure.Hoffman eventually visited Israel and decided upon her return to convert to Islam. However, she was not willing to give up on the dirndl.In keeping with the Muslim tradition of modesty, the bustline was raised and a headscarf was added to the traditionally low-cut garment."When I read the Bible side-by-side with the Koran I decided that Islam was the religion that went straight to my heart," she said."I gave up a lot of things for it but I didn't want to give up my dirndl so I modified it. Many of my friends understood my decision to convert but some didn't - they equated all Muslims with terrorists," Hoffman added"But in my burkirndl anyone can see where I come from," Hoffman explained.In August, 10 women were apprehended by police in Cannes, France, after the French city placed a temporary ban on the controversial burkini.The burkini, a modest swimsuit designed for Islamic women to keep tradition has raised tensions in France after many argue that the burkini defies French laws on secularism.