South African Army Allows Hijab For Muslim Women

South African army allows Hijab for Muslim women, as a part of their uniform: The South African army amended its dress policy for women which now permits them to wear headscarves while they are on duty.

The decision comes almost a year after the South African military court dropped charges against an officer, Major Fatima Isaacs, for wearing hijab under her military beret. In 2018, Isaacs was charged with wilful defiance and failing to obey lawful instructions, after being asked by her superior to remove her hijab while in uniform. However, all charges against Isaacs were dropped in January 2020.

While dropping the charges the court also allowed Isaacs to wear a tight hijab conditioning that the hijab must “not cover her ears, and must be plain in colour." But the military did not amend its dress policy, prompting Isaacs to mount a challenge in South Africa's equality court over regulations restricting religious wear. 

This week, as the South African Defence Force (SANDF) finally agreed to amend its dress policy, Isaacs' representer the South Africa-based Legal Resources Centre welcomed the decision on Twitter. The firm also announced it was withdrawing the equality court case.

UPDATE:

The LRC has been engaged in discussions with the SANDF, resulting in the SANDF amending its religious dress policy, to allow Muslim women to wear their hijab with their military uniform. As such, we filed a Notice of Withdrawal in the Equality Court. https://t.co/hxv1v860Sf

— Legal Resources Centre (@LRC_SouthAfrica) January 27, 2021

In another progressive move, the New York Police Department (NYPD) granted permission to women to keep their hijab on when mugshots are being taken after arrest. This reform in policy comes after a legal clash with two Muslim women who in 2018 had claimed “humiliation” upon being forced by NYPD to remove their hijab during mugshots. In settling the lawsuit, the Department has now decided to do away with that rule altogether. Men of different faiths will also henceforth be allowed to keep their religious headgear – like skullcaps and turbans – on to respect their “privacy, rights and religious beliefs.” Read about it more here.

Picture Credits: The Times of Israel