Mounties now allowed to wear hijabs
Canada's national police force has become the latest law enforcement agencyto allow its female officers to wear the hijab.
The commissioner of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) recently approved the addition to the uniform for Muslim women, public safety minister Ralph Goodale's spokesman Scott Bardsley said Wednesday.
It sees the force follow in the footsteps of Toronto and Edmonton, as well as forces in Sweden, Norway, some U.S. states and London's Metropolitan Police in allowing the headgear.
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The new move aims to better reflect Canada's diversity, Bardsley said, and encourage more Muslim women to consider a career as a Mountie. Women currently make up around a fifth of the RCMP force.
Three types of hijabs were tested before one was chosen that can be removed quickly and easily if necessary.
The move is in stark contrast to France, where some half a dozen towns have banned burkini swimwear favored by Muslim women. The crackdown has faced severe backlash online.
Also this week: Scottish Police have just announced they're introducing a hijab-based uniform.
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The Mounties have long worn their distinctive uniform.
The bright Red Serge jacket dates back to the early 19th century and the wide brimmed felt hat has been synonymous with the force since it was adopted in 1904.
The RCMP faced backlash some 25 years ago when a Sikh man took the government to court and won the right to wear his traditional turban instead of the usual hat.
Tim Chester was Senior Editor, Real Time News in Los Angeles. Before that he was Deputy Editor of Mashable UK in London. Prior to joining Mashable, Tim was a Senior Web Editor at Penguin Random House, helping to relaunch the Rough Guides website and other travel brands. He was also a writer for Buzzfeed, GQ and The Sunday Times, covering everything from culture to tech and current affairs. Before that, he was Deputy Editor at NME.COM, overseeing content and development on the London-based music and entertainment site. Tim loves music and travel and has combined these two passions at festivals from Iceland to Malawi and beyond.
