In Alexandria, Egypst, Women in Bathing Suits are Gone from View

Muslim woman swimming in EgyptBeyond the Veil| In a Letter from Egypt, NYTimes writer Daniel Williams focuses on the ‘battle’ going on in Alexandria, once considered to be one of the world most sensual cities. The celebration of La Dolce Vita — in food, drink, nature, art — is fighting for life, as Islamic Fundamentalism marches into town.

ALEXANDRIA, EGYPT — Along the miles of crowded beachfront in Egypt’s second city, women in bathing suits are nowhere in sight.

On Alexandria’s breeze-blown shores, they all wear long-sleeve shirts and ankle-length black caftans topped by head scarves. Awkwardly afloat in the rough seas, the bathers look like wads of kelp loosened from the sandy bottom.