Headscarves now allowed in South African military

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Muslim women serving in South Africa's military can now wear headscarves while in #uniform, according to rule changes by the South African National Defence Force.

The change followed the criminal charging of Maj. Fatima Isaacs for violating the policy.

The Legal Resources Centre, a public interest law organization in South Africa, successfully defended Isaacs and she was allowed to wear a headscarf last week.

The changing rules is part of a larger trend in militaries around the world. In the United States, Army service members were allowed to wear religious headwear in 2017. The U.S. Navy and U.S. Air Force also changed their rules allowing for religious headwear in 2020.

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