Friday 29 January 2021 - 9:43am
Muslim army major Fatima Isaacs appeared before a military court for refusing to remove her headscarf at work.
JOHANNESBURG - The South African military has amended its dress policy to allow Muslim women to wear headscarves as part of their uniform, an army spokesperson said.
Major Fatima Isaacs had been criminally charged in June 2018 with wilful defiance and failing to obey lawful instructions after her superior asked her to remove her headscarf when in uniform.
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A military court at the Castle of Good Hope near Cape Town withdrew all charges in January 2020, allowing Isaacs to exceptionally wear a tight black headwrap on duty as long as it did not cover her ears.
Muslim women allowed to wear hijab on duty after brave officer challenges S African army in court
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Fri, Jan 29, 2021 The Military Court withdrew charges against Major Isaacs. She is allowed to wear her head wrap subject to certain restrictions, says the Legal Resources Centre. Twitter/@LRC SouthAfrica/via The News
JOHANNESBURG: Muslim women in the South African army have been allowed to wear
hijab, or headscarves, when on duty, a spokesperson confirmed on Thursday after a brave officer challenged the military in the country s equality court.
Earlier this week, the South African Defence Force (SANDF) agreed to amend its policy, allowing any Muslim women who chose to cover their heads while on duty to do so without repercussions.
Victory for Major Fatima Isaacs as SANDF ends hijab ban
29 January 2021 1:08 PM
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Legal Resources Centre attorney Amy-Leigh Payne says the South African National Defence Force has agreed to amend its policy.
South African National Defence Force (SANDF) has changed its dress policy to allow Muslim women to wear their hijab with their uniforms.
It is a victory for Major Fatima Isaacs, who lead a three-year battle for her religious right to wear her headscarf beneath her military beret.
South Africa has one of the most liberal constitutions in the world yet this is still an issue.
The Legal Resources Centre took up that. Major Isaacs was facing dismissal for woeful defiance and disobeying a lawful command for refusing to remove her hijab.
South Africa s army permits hijab for Muslim women under revised uniform policy
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Friday Jan 29, 2021
The South African Defence Force s decision to revise its dress policy came after Major Fatima Isaacs challenged regulations restricting religious wear in the country s equality court. AFP/Marco Longari
South Africa s army agrees to amend its policy, allowing any Muslim women to cover their heads while on duty
Decision comes after Major Fatima Isaacs challenged the army in South Africa s equality court for not amending dress policy
Major Isaacs was criminally charged in June 2018 with failing to obey lawful instructions and wilful defiance
JOHANNESBURG: The South African army has permitted Muslim women to wear
Groundbreaking headscarf victory for Muslim women in SANDF
By Nicola Daniels, Siphokazi Vuso
Jan 28, 2021
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Cape Town – In a groundbreaking decision, the South African Defence Force (SANDF) has amended its military religious dress policy to accommodate the wearing of a headscarf with military uniform.
This followed the three-year- battle of Major Fatima Isaacs, a Muslim woman who wore a headscarf covering her hair and head under her military beret in accordance with her religious beliefs since she officially joined the force in February 2010.
In June 2018, she was instructed that the wearing of the headscarf was contrary to the SANDF dress policy instruction amendment number 5: Wearing of Religious and Medical Adornments by SANDF Members in Uniform (2002) (Religious Dress Policy).