Female members of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police will now be permitted to wear hijabs on the job.
The option for Mounties — world-renowned for their red uniforms and wide-brimmed hats — will help recruit more Muslim citizens in the years to come, officials say.
“The commissioner of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police recently approved this addition to the uniform to allow female members of the Muslim faith to wear a hijab if they so choose,” said Scott Bardsley, a spokesman for Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale, the Global News reported Wednesday. “This is intended to better reflect the diversity in our communities and encourage more Muslim women to consider the Royal Canadian Mounted Police as a career option.”
A similar move was made in 1990 to accommodate Sikh officers.
“When many members of racialized or minority communities look at police forces they wonder if there is a place for them there,” Amira Elghawaby, spokeswoman for the National Council of Canadian Muslims, told the newspaper. “I think that it may be difficult for women who wear hijab to consider a career in policing if they feel there may be barriers. It’s wonderful the RCMP has taken this move.”
RCMP Staff Sgt. Julie Gagnon told the newspaper that there are currently no recruits who have requested to wear a hijab on duty.
• Douglas Ernst can be reached at dernst@washingtontimes.com.
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