South African military ends hijab ban for Muslims | General news

The South African military changed its dress policy to allow Muslim women to wear the hijab with their uniforms.

It’s a victory for Maj Fatima Isaacs, who fought a three-year legal battle for his religious right to wear a headscarf under his military beret.

The change of mind comes after the military dropped charges last week against Maj Isaacs for bringing one.

She had been fired for “willful defiance and disobeying a lawful order” for refusing to suppress it.

Maj Isaacs, who works as a clinical forensic scientist at a military hospital, told the Cape Times it was a victory not only for her, but for all those who have been “silently victimized” because of their religion.

“We live in a democratic country, which means there should be no discrimination with regard to religious beliefs. I believe religion is the foundation of a moral state / country. This is an important victory “, she told the newspaper.

She also thanked the Legal Resource Center (LRC), an advocacy group that took on her case in 2019.

After military charges were dropped last week, it was agreed that Maj Isaacs could wear a tight scarf, not covering his ears and solid in color – although the dress code has not officially changed.

The LRC therefore filed a petition with the equality tribunal, arguing that the religious dress code of the South African Defense Force (SANDF) was unconstitutional.

However, subsequent discussions led the defense force to “change its religious dress policy to allow Muslim women to wear their hijabs with their military uniform,” the LRC tweeted.

“We are therefore not going to go into this issue further because the current SANDF policy no longer discriminates against Muslim women in the military.”

After South Africa’s white minority rule ended in 1994, the country developed and adopted one of the most liberal constitutions in the world.