After news of French police making a woman in a kaftan - not even a burkini, which is banned in 15 French towns - strip off for supposed morality reasons, Scotland’s done something awesome.
Its police service has made a hijab (the head covering that leaves the face visible) part of its official uniform in order to boost women joining its ranks.
Police Scotland announced - coincidentally right after the France incident - that the item will: ‘encourage women from Muslim communities, who may previously not have seen policing as a career option, to reconsider.’
The move comes 15 years after the Metropolitan Police introduced the hijab as part of its official uniform, and up until now, female Muslim officers for Police Scotland could only wear the hijab with approval from senior staff. Like dads approving girls’ outfits before an under 18 disco or something.
‘I am delighted to make this announcement and welcome the support from both the Muslim community, and the wider community, as well as police officers and staff’ said chief constable Phil Gormley, reports The Telegraph.
The Scottish Police Muslim Association (SPMA) approves, with chair Fahad Bashir saying: ‘This is a positive step in the right direction…no doubt this will encourage more women from Muslim and minority ethnic backgrounds to join Police Scotland.’
According to recent statistics, only 2.6% of applications to join the force were from people from black and minority ethnic (BME) backgrounds, even though the country’s BME population is at 4%.
Isn’t it funny, a country’s police encouraging tolerance and interaction within its force rather than making women strip on beaches and fining them for supposed breaches of morality!
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This article originally appeared on The Debrief.