Toronto Police Service
It seems to be good news in several ways that the RCMP will permit female members to wear a specialized hijab if they choose. It will be easy for some to miss the point of this important change. They will construe it as merely as sop to Muslim society. It is much more than that. No woman — Muslim or otherwise — can be a Mountie unless she is mentally and physically ready for the job. And the job will require her to be entirely integrated, proactive and ready to deal capably with Canadians whose backgrounds may be different from hers. Perfect. It reveals in sharp contrast the narrowness of the world in which some of the sisters of these Muslim Mounties are living. It is their right of course. But how much better it is for Muslim women in tailored hijabs to be cops, hockey forwards (under the helmet) criminal lawyers and bicycle racers. In the RCMP case, the hijab option has been fully tested by the RCMP and any woman wanting to wear it must get permission. And like the Toronto Police Service hijab, it must fit under a standard issue police cap.
