PENNES-MIRABEAU, FRANCE — A water park close to the city of Marseille has axed a one-day private event booked by Muslim women to were planning to wear burkinis and full-body swimsuits. <br /> <br />Water park officials and French authorities said in a statement that they wanted to preserve public order following outrage and debate sparked over the event. <br /> <br />“Neither Speedwater Park nor the town of Pennes-Mirabeau wish to be the side of public disorder,” they said in a joint statement. <br /> <br />“Extreme ideological positions are taking advantage of the controversy over this event to address conflicts in which Speedwater Park and the city of Pennes-Mirabeau do not wish to be involved,” the statement said. <br /> <br />The burkini day was only meant for women who chose to wear the swimsuit, according to BBC. <br /> <br />The organizers, Smile 13, had scheduled the event for September 10. It called for women to wear a swimsuit that covered from the chest to the knees. The group said that two-pieces would not be allowed. <br /> <br />Smile 13 also said that since announcing the event, they had received bullets sent in the mail. <br /> <br />Right-wing politicians and some local officials felt the event went against legally-enshrined secular values. <br /> <br />The park announced on Tuesday that it canceled Smile 13’s reservation, which had not yet been confirmed or paid for, according to BBC.
