Sink or Swim: Slippery slopes at mixed water parks by
Each month Conservative Guy and Progressive Girl will answer one question from their differing viewpoints. This month's question: going swimming.
Disclaimer: The advice below is strictly the opinions of the authors and has not been approved by an Imam, Mufti or other Islamic body and does not reflect a scholarly Islamic position. Please consult with a learned person before deciding on any course of action.
My school is planning a year end trip to the water park - can I go?
Conservative Guy
It is not forbidden to swim. Swimming is a useful and potentially life saving skill. Every person should know how to survive in water. However, going to a water park, pool or beach in revealing swimwear in the presence of the opposite gender should not be permitted. Fortunately, many Muslim communities have grown large enough that gender separated swimming opportunities are available. Skip the water park for now and find out from your community when such sessions are available.
Progressive Gal
If you’re going to the pool, make sure you’re going with the right intentions. Are you going to the pool to take on the waves with your friends or are you breaking out a cute new two piece so people will notice all the cardio you’ve been doing? There are things you can wear to the pool that won’t be too much different that what you’d wear for other activities. Ever heard of the burkini?
While you’re waiting for it to arrive from overseas, you could try wearing a conservative neck high swimsuit and a swim cap or a synthetic t-shirt/tights that will keep you covered up with out creating too much drag on the slides.
You’d still go to parks or festivals knowing that some people won’t be dressed to code - and that goes for men as well as women. A little bit of water shouldn’t suddenly change how you think - as long as you aren’t showing off your belly button!
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Progressive gal,
First of all, I like your support for the burkini. But… don’t you think that regardless of the individuals intentions a blond bombshell in a red string bikini ( or a 6 pack clad hunk) is dangerous enough to catch anyones attention (ya know what I mean) and affect their Iman??
word!
As someone who only has access to mixed-gender pools (and they’re mostly populated by drunk half-naked college students), and for whom swimming is one of the few exercises I can do with my disabilities, I am really happy to see more support for the new modest swimwear in the Western Muslim! I don’t like seeing other people half-dressed, but because of the university I go to astaghfirullah, it happens ALL the time whether I’m at the pool or not. At least if I know I am covered and I know I am there just to swim and I’m not interested in “scoping” anyone out, I can protect my modesty and my iman and also keep my health. Allahu alim.
A’ishah—- just to let you know, the WM is a huge supporter of the Burkini. I know a lot of sisters/brothers make fun of such swim wear, but it’s usually because they don’t have the Iman to look slightly ridiculous and out of place for the sake of obeying Allah. Here’s an idea if you haven’t already tried it, but use your MSA to petition for Ladies only swimming on campus…—a lot more universities are doing it. Also a lot of YWCAs have women only swim time.. check it out. anyways best of luck and stay healthy 
Assalaamu aleykum Burkini Babe, thanks for your message! That wouldn’t work on our campus - we are heavy in the Bible belt (if you think the outcry at Harvard over women only gym hours was bad, you haven’t seen ANYTHING), and most of our MSA does not cover (only a handful of women on campus out of 40,000 do - maybe less than 10 or 15 including me - so I doubt we could get anyone to pay attention to us if we asked). I don’t think we have anywhere in town with women-only swim hours (I’ve lived here all my life and I’ve never heard of any places) and if we did it would not be feasible for me due to transportation. Ah! I hate to sound so negative astaghfirullah. It’s just that this is really important to me and it’s something I’ve thought of every way I possibly can because I hate going to our school gym - it’s like a meat market. But thank you for your message and kind suggestions!
as-salamu alaikum
May Allaah Guide you all to the straight path. This magazine and its contents are very unfortunate.
Rather than giving a comment prize based on random numbers, can you give an award for best comment? This one above is awesome!
Why are so many here so quick to criticize and judge the magazine, I think this is a great medium to create awareness and dialouge which is very important in a postmodern age. Many will have their own perspectives and positions on various issues, and this will never change. The positive thing to take from this is to atleast realize that not everything is so black and white in life. I believe that INTENTION is what everything is based on in this dunya, it is what we are judged on, because it reflects the conviction in our hearts and minds. Inshallah you will be able to see this—-may god bless you all with patience and the virtue of respecting others views.
5 out of 5, keep up the good work. 
I find this contrast between “progressive” and “conservative” hilarious. Basically, attribute all the things the article writers personally find irritating to the “conservative” and let the voice promoting the “western muslim” perspective: ie, make your own religion while shopping at Wal-Mart, a little water can’t hurt, my cellphone tells me when to pray, I watch R rated movies for religious content, etc. etc.
All I can say is, reading this magazine gives an excellent perspective to why Muslims in the West are totally “backward”- in the real sense.