People are crowdfunding to help support Muslim women fined for wearing burkinis

Following the shocking images of armed police forcing a woman to remove clothing on a beach in France this week there has been an outpouring of criticism.

Several towns in the south of the country have now imposed burkini bans with dozens of women - including grandmothers - being criminalised just for the clothes they wear.

Critics argue the ban is "islamophobic, misogynistic and misguided".

While a wealthy businessman has already paid fines for at least three women, the international community is now pooling together to help out more.

A crowdfunding page set up by two women to help pay off burkini ban fines has received donations from hundreds of people.

A short description on the JustGiving page explains their reasoning:

It should be made clear that women’s clothing bears no correlation with terrorism and any attempt to argue otherwise and politicise Muslim women’s clothing is blatant prejudice, sexism and, in this case, Islamophobia.

The state controlling the clothing of women sets an alarming precedent that women are in fact without liberties.

While acknowledging there are situations when women are forced into wearing the burkini, the page's organisers - Bee Tajudeen and Hareem Ghani - argue that many "choose to wear it for the sake of comfort, practicality and personal commitment to one's faith".

The page has already surpassed its target of £1,993.

More: The problem with this picture of French bikers 'protesting the burkini ban'