Mounties update uniform to allow navy blue hijabs in bid to attract Muslim women to the force

                                                                      

by   Douglas Quan
   Female Mounties will now have the option of wearing a navy blue headscarf — or hijab — as part of their uniform, the RCMP confirmed Wednesday.
   The policy change is meant to reflect the country’s diversity and to encourage more Muslims to join the force, officials said.
   “The Royal Canadian Mounted Police is a progressive and inclusive police service that values and respects persons of all cultural and religious backgrounds,” said Scott Bardsley, a spokesman for Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale.
   But before the uniform option was quietly approved in January, there had been concerns that headscarves could pose choking hazards.
   Internal RCMP documents obtained by The Rebel media website under Access to Information laws show that three prototypes tested “very poorly” because fasteners did not open easily if the hijab was pulled against the neck.
   Rather than make a public announcement about the uniform accommodation in January, the force opted instead for a “low profile internal communication.”...http://www.thestarphoenix.com/news/national/mounties+update+uniform+allow+navy+blue+hijabs+attract/12147778/story.html