TEHRAN – Modern technology has come to the service of Islamic values to provide proper swimsuits for Muslim women for use in society.

Since the full-coverage swimsuit dubbed the Burqini (as in burqa plus bikini) hit the international market in January, devout Muslim women have been snapping them up.
The polyester suits were designed to accord with Islamic laws that require women to dress modestly and they also decrease the risk of drowning which occurs when the yards of fabric used in traditional burqas get soaked.
Now, however, non-Muslim beachgoers are getting into the full-covered swim. Whether women are worried about health, weight or the toll of age, the Burqini offers a comfortable alternative to a skimpy two-piece or clingy swimsuit.
The demure suits, which have been pioneered by two Muslim women on opposite sides of the globe, can be classed as light-weight, loose, hooded wet suits and hide everything but the face, hands and feet.
Anne Cole, the designer whose 1997 invention, the tankini, was a landmark for Muslim swimwear, lauds the reasoning behind the modest suits. ""A woman should, above all, find a suit in which she feels comfortable and can be herself,"" she says.
However the new swimsuits have drawn criticism from both East and West. ""This is like playing a game with Allah,"" asserted a poster on the website ShiaChat, complaining that the stretchy fabric reveals curves. Zanetti's design has also brought out anti-Muslim sentiment since she's become a high-profile member of the Islamic community.
Australian retailer Aheda Zanetti, 38, says she was inspired to design her Burqini after watching young Muslim girls struggle to play netball in bulky layers. Her competitor, California microbiologist Shereen Sabet, 36, came up with her full-coverage Splashgear suits after searching in vain for Islamic-appropriate scuba gear.
Zanetti’s UV-resistant, stretchy swimsuits start at $90 and have found upwards of 6,000 buyers--most of them online--in locations as varied as Malaysia, South Africa, Mexico, Ireland and the U.S. ""I'm a very small business with a product the whole world wants,"" says Zanetti.
Conservative Christians, cancer patients, burn victims and senior citizens, among others, have shown surprising interest. Joanne Martinez, 37, of San Clemente, Calif., bought a Hawaiian-print ensemble to stave off chills during late-night dips. Her mother Norma Suarez, 69, got a suit because medication made her skin sun-sensitive. ""We're both hooked,"" says Martinez.
Meanwhile, Kathleen Petroff, 59, of Helendale, Calif., bought her Splashgear suit for a snorkeling trip, after weight gain from multiple-sclerosis treatment made her old suit unappealing. If not for Sabet's design, she says, ""I would have missed swimming with the dolphins.""
NM/M