Police Scotland approves hijab as official uniform to boost number of Muslim women joining force

Scotland: Police Scotland has announced that the hijab will become part of its official uniform as it aims to create a more diverse force.

The force said they hope the move will “encourage women from Muslim communities, who may previously not have seen policing as a career option, to reconsider”.

In the past, Muslim police officers in Scotland were allowed to wear the hijab, but only once it was approved by senior staff members.

The Metropolitan Police introduced the hijab as an optional part of the force’s official uniform in 2001 as part of a similar drive to recruit a more diverse mix of officers.

In a statement, chief constable Phil Gormley said: “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.

“Like many other employers, especially in the public sector, we are working towards ensuring our service is representative of the communities we serve. I hope that this addition to our uniform options will contribute to making our staff mix more diverse and adds to the life skills, experiences and personal qualities that our officers and staff bring to policing the communities of Scotland.”The announcement was welcomed by the Scottish Police Muslim Association (SPMA), a group that aims to build links between Muslim communities in Scotland and the police.

Fahad Bashir, chair of the SPMA said: “This is a positive step in the right direction, and I am delighted that Police Scotland is 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.

“No doubt this will encourage more women from Muslim and minority ethnic backgrounds to join Police Scotland.”Police Scotland’s diversity drive follows statistics from the Scottish Police Authority released earlier this year which showed just 127, (2.6 per cent) of the 4,809 applications to join the force were from people with ethnic backgrounds.

The report said: “If the black and minority ethnic groups (BME) national average of 4 per cent is to be met within the organisation, an additional 650 BME recruits are required across all areas of the business.

Source :independent.co.uk

Comments

7 Remarkable Things About Khadija, Wife of the Prophet Muhammed SAS

By Yasmina Blackburn I often get into debates with people about women in Islam. How we dress. How we don’t dress. What we think or don’t think or should-be-thinking. I get into debates about feminism. What it is and what it isn’t. I think I’ve spawned permanent foes because I don’t care to apply the label, feminist, to describe myself. (I’m not one for labels, sorry. But if it’s even required of me, “Muslim woman” suits me just fine.) But if we could agree for a moment that there exists a pure definition of the word feminist to mean: awesomely fierce to the millionth degree, then I’d like to introduce you to Islam’s first feminist. Her name is Khadijah bint Khuwaylid. She was the wife of the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him.) And she is one of the people that I think about when I face or debate issues surrounding women today. Khadija’s existence precedes mine by more than 1,400 years; and, if I can at the very least, continuously strive to emulate her char...

When Can I Shorten my Prayers at my Workplace ?

Q uestions: My current workplace is 86 km from my home. I stay there 8 hours each days. Can I shorten my prayers A nswer: If your workplace is [approximately] 80km or more from your city boundary, you should shorten your prayers whilst there. Normally, we are expected to shorten our prayers when the shari‘a says that we are travelling; hence, if you have to travel just to get to work, you would shorten your prayers. Please also see: The Definition of a Resident Person & Traveler and: The Etiquette of Travelling: A Comprehensive SeekersHub Reader And Allah Most High knows best. wassalam,

I Felt As 60 Pound Weight Had Been Lifted Off My Shoulders

By Aisha Kacie Salaam! My name is Aisha and I am a Muslim revert. I reverted in 2015, but I had been researching Islam for about 2 years before reverting. Growing up I was put under the label Christian, though it was never practiced in my home. I met my best friend in college 6-7 years ago and she was Muslim. I later met a few other Muslims but still never thought much about Islam. Having moved to a big city from a small town, I actually did not know what Islam was! So I guess because of that, I came into it without any bias. I began having questions about fasting, and modest dress, etc and that began my 2 year journey into researching Islam. I researched (literally) everyday. Then one day I decided to listen to one of the 5 daily prayers out of curiosity. As soon as the Arabic played I felt as though a 60 pound weight had been lifted off my shoulders. I was so overwhelmed as though I had just found what was written for me my entire life without even knowing it! ...

Certified Info

Search This Blog