It seems that Denmark will no longer be the odd man out when it comes to the issue of hijabs in the national police force. Norway had previously been progressing towards making it legal for Muslim women in their national police force to wear a hijab, or traditional headscarf, while on duty. But now the government is backtracking on the controversial issue.
Knut Storberget, Norway’s Justice Minister, has withdrawn the proposal he previously submitted to the Norwegian government to allow the headscarf to be worn with the Norwegian police uniform. His decision to retract the bill comes from heavy pressure by certain factions within the police force, the political opposition, as well as three of the parties in the current government coalition.
The Norway Post said that Storberget made the announcement at a recent press conference. He admitted that the Justice Ministry had earlier accepted the proposal from the Police Directorate to allow the hijab to be worn while on duty, and accepted responsibility for the reversal.
The main goal of the original proposal was to encourage broader recruitment in the police force. For now the police dress code will remain universal to all officers.
[…] in Norway has caused an uproar. Norwegian officials first OK’d the request, but then did an about-face after the police union said it breached the neutrality of the uniform. The Christian Science […]
I am a canadian now living in switzerland.
The RCMP, the famous mounties of canada allow the wearing of this sort of thing. Perfectly silly not to.Danes are even allowed to wear their outrageous mustaches and redolent underwear without controversy.
There is no crime wave. Canada is still there and still rich. And peaceful. We never lost a war. In fact, we win wars with turbanned folks and troops with braids and even with hairy danish mustaches. we did not bow to the Nazis. We whupped their butts we canadian muslim, Sioux, jew, norwegian, dane, turkish, english, french, and even Swedish. we whupped their butts but good.
So I say, let it be.
Denmark the odd man out? In the Netherlands we had that debate back in 2007 and it was decided against it.
Just google “hoofddoek” and “politie” and feed that through an online translator.