Police Forces in 2 Countries Embrace the Hijab

While cops in France crack down on burkinis, police forces in two other countries have decided to embrace the hijab. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police have decided to allow female officers to wear a hijab while on duty in a bid to encourage diversity among the Mounties, the Independent reports. Police officers in Scotland were already allowed to wear the hijab, but only with approval from senior officers, the Telegraph reports. The headscarf has now been made an official part of the uniform.

"Like many other employers, especially in the public sector, we are working towards ensuring our service is representative of the communities we serve," Scottish Chief Constable Phil Gormley said in a statement. In Canada, officials say they hope the shift in uniform policy will encourage more Muslim women to join the Mounties, the AP reports. They note that hijabs were already allowed by police in Toronto, as well as by forces in Sweden, Norway, and London, which added the hijab to the uniform in 2001. (More hijabs stories.)