By MICHEL ABO NAJEM, NAJLAA HABRIRI, ASHARQ AL-AWSAT
Paris, London, Ottawa- As the debate over the Islamic swimsuit Burkini has taken a new dimension in France, Scotland Police announced that the veil now falls under the optional uniforms of Scotland police in a quest to urge Muslim women to join the service.
Previously, Muslim female officers could only wear the religious headscarf with approval. Scotland Police stated that it is working on representing all the society categories which it serves; his statement was welcomed by The Scottish Police Muslim Association (SPMA), an organisation set up in 2010 to bridge gaps with Muslim communities.
Chief Constable Phil Gormley said: “I am delighted to make this announcement and welcome the support from the Muslim community, and the wider community, as well as police officers and staff. Like many other employers, especially in the public sector, we are working towards ensuring our service is representative of the communities we serve.”
Gormley added: “I hope that this addition to our uniform options will contribute to making our staff more diverse and adds to the life skills, experiences and personal qualities that our officers and staff bring to policing the communities of Scotland.”
SPMA Chairman Fahad Bashir said: “This is a positive step in the right direction, and I am delighted that Scotland Police are taking productive steps in order to ensure that our organisation is seen to be inclusive and represents the diverse communities that we serve across Scotland.”
In Canada, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police allowed the veil as part of the official uniform in order to encourage Muslim women to join forces, announced the government on Tuesday.
In France, however, Siam was asked to take off her Burkini or to leave the beach. She rejected at first claiming that she is not wearing a Burkini but the police said it is an inappropriate uniform and she ended up taking it off.
Source: Asharq Al-Awsat
