Content warning: This article contains instances of hate speech.

Today, the world is rapidly evolving in ways many may find hard to keep up with. Globalization and exposure to new cultures and lifestyles have expanded community culture and joy, but they have also contributed to a more polarized world.

A woman identifying herself as MAGA Mama 47 posted a viral rant on X (formerly Twitter). The rant was about a private club membership dispute at a Lifetime Fitness in Shelby Township, Michigan, 20 miles from Dearborn.

The MAGA Mama, who was wearing a cross necklace  in the video, appeared concerned and furious as she described canceling her private club membership after seeing a Muslim woman swimming in modest swimwear, calling it a “Muslim problem.”

“Let me tell you about our ‘Muslim problem’ of wearing swim burkas,” she said. The woman, who was spotted wearing a cross necklace, then added: “It’s disgusting. It’s gross. They have germs. It should never be allowed. Ever.” 

“There are policies and rules for us,” she added. The woman pointed out how Muslims do not have to follow common rules set for private pool users and called the incident a major “sanitary problem” and a bummer for America.

MAGA Mama’s comments sparked mixed reactions on social media as people voiced their opinions. Some users agreed with her and said swimming pools should implement a strict dress code and ban “burkinis.”  Several others condemned her Islamophobic and racist remarks and explained the logic behind the specially designed swimwear for Muslim women.

“Why is it all the women who are racists, bigots, and evil people always wear a cross? Do they think that’s going to keep evil spirits away when they are actually evil spirits themselves?” one user wrote.

“Meanwhile, her child is listening to all of this hatred, ignorance, and negativity. Way to go, Mom,” another user added. “A burkini is just like those bodysuits surfers wear. What’s her problem?” a third one said.

“A burka in the pool? Oh the humanity,” another user said, mocking concerns about the outfit.

The woman’s comments came shortly after a deadly shooting at a major Islamic center in San Diego. Investigators examined the attack as a possible hate crime after two teenage gunmen opened fire at the mosque and later died by suicide on May 18.

Burkini is a modern swimwear design invented in 2004 by an Australian woman of Lebanese origin to help Muslim women swim while keeping modest coverage. It resembles a wetsuit with a hood and covers the head, torso, and limbs.

While people may assume the outfit is worn by Muslim women who abide by strict religious laws from the Quran, debates around it have sparked mixed reactions more in France than in the United States.

After a series of deadly terrorist attacks in France since 2015, some officials argued that the garment could affect public order, hygiene, or conflict with France’s secular values, leading to attempts to restrict or ban it in certain public spaces.

Debates around the burkini have been most intense in France, where strict secularism and concerns about Islamic extremism have influenced public policy. Following terrorist attacks, some officials argued that the garment could affect public order, hygiene, or disrupt France’s secular values, leading to attempts to ban it in certain public spaces.

France has experienced dozens of Islamist extremist attacks in recent decades, according to multiple terrorism databases.