British police criticized for dressing female officers in full-body Muslim veils for day
By APMonday, August 3, 2009
UK police criticized for Muslim veiling exercise
LONDON — British police have been criticized for an exercise in which two female officers spent the day in full-body veils to learn about Islam.
British media say the South Yorkshire Police dressed three female officers in conservative Muslim attire and sent them walking around the northern city of Sheffield as part of community-relations activity.
A picture published on the Mail Online Web site showed two wearing niqabs — full-body black veil with eye slits. The photo showed a third wearing a black head scarf.
Britain’s Taxpayers’ Alliance calls the exercise an “absurd diversion.”
It was unclear from the reports when the exercise took place. A message seeking comment from the police force late Monday was not immediately returned.
