The South African Army’s battle against its own hijab-dressed soldier has ended in the South African Defence Force’s (SANDF) surrender to Major Fatima Isaacs who insisted on wearing her head dress to serve her country.
For three years the SANDF and the soldier fought each other back and forth before a military court ordered the force to allow Isaacs to wear her hijab under her cap while wearing army fatigues.
Despite the ruling in her favour in January 2020, the SANDF did not amend its dress code, insisting that the soldier should choose between the SANDF and her cultural attire.
Taught during basic training not to easily surrender to the enemy, the hijab-clad soldier took the military authorities to the country’s Equality Court with the help of the NGO Legal Resource Centre.
However, before the hearing could be heard in the Equality Court, the SANDF decided to raise the white flag rather than face Isaacs in another court round in what was turning out to be an embarrassing exercise in futility.
On Friday, the SANDF announced that it had amended its dress policy to allow Muslim women to wear headscarves as part of their uniforms.
“The SANDF dress regulation has been updated to allow the wearing of headscarves by Muslim women according to stipulations in the dress regulations,” SANDF spokesman Mafi Mgobozi said on Friday.
The announcement finally ends a three-year battle between the SANDF and Isaacs, a soldier in good standing as major in the force.
The Legal Resources Centre said it had filed “a notice of withdrawal” in the Equality Court on the case following the SANDF’s announcement.
NM/jn/APA