In its issue of today, Al Akhbar newspaper reported that as usual every summer incidents related to racism and discrimination appear in beach resorts and pools. These places, Al Akhbar wrote, bar the entry of certain people based on their ethnicity, race or external appearance, pointing especially to the ban of the veil in some of these resorts even if the veiled woman simply wants to enjoy the sun, on the pretext that this is the institution’s internal policy! The newspaper recounted what happened to Ali Farhat and his family who were insulted when they attempted to enter La Siesta beach in Khaldeh south of Beirut. It started when one of the staff asked Ali: “Is this (veiled woman) with you?”, making clear that should he let her in, she should stay by the porch. What is important he said, is that she should not be seen by beach goers. In brief, Al Akhbar said, resort owners prevent veiled women from entering their property, and in case they agree, it will be reluctantly, and on condition they stay invisible! This is a clear discriminatory and demeaning attitude against a significant segment of the Lebanese society, and is simply an antipathy towards the looks of a muhajabah in water, Al Akhbar wrote, adding, this bigoted behavior continues in the absence of any deterrent action on part of the government. It concluded by saying, “All this carries on under the excuse, ‘the rules and regulations of the institution’, while noting that the beach access is a universal right for the public.” (Al Akhbar, July 19, 2018)