Canada's Justin Trudeau defends the burkini

August 23, 2016 14:31

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau defended individual rights and freedoms while touting cultural diversity and tolerance when asked about a controversy swirling in France over a burkini ban.

"We should be past tolerance in Canada," Trudeau said.

Some lawmakers in Canada's Quebec province have called for outlawing "burkinis" -- body-concealing Islamic swimsuits -- following bans in at least 15 towns in France's southeast.

They include the French Riviera resort town of Nice, the target of a jihadist attack on July 14, with the proponents citing the need to prevent public disorder.

Trudeau called for "the respect of individual rights and choices. "This, he said, should be "at the top of public discourse and debate."

Trudeau dismissed the idea of a burkini ban in Canada, saying Canadians should rise above the controversy.

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