"we’ve had to take a lot of things into consideration"
A Bradford-based company has created a Hijab suited for police use.
Nazia Nazir created her online company PardaParadise in 2018.
Then, North Yorkshire Police got in touch with the 39-year-old and asked her to create a Hijab for the police. This comes as more Hijab-wearing women enter the police.
Nazia started out doing tutorials, showing women how she styled her Hijab.
Her community was keen to wear the same Hijabs as Nazia and pushed her to create her e-commerce company.
Nazia said: “We’re really humbled that we were asked to create the Hijab for the police.
“I myself wear the Hijab and I’m glad to have been trusted by the community to create this Hijab and I feel as though I’ve provided a much-needed service.
“It’s taken around 18 months since we did the first design, we’ve had to take a lot of things into consideration and now it’s passed.”
The headwear had to pass several tests as it could be regarded as a choking hazard, while the pins used to keep it in place could potentially be dangerous.
Nazia’s police Hijab has been made so there are no pins. Instead, buttons secure it and stop it from slipping. It is also adjustable so it can fit different head sizes.
She continued: “This Hijab is made in the UK, which is why we were chosen because the police needed that and because we have experience with making Hijabs and working in the UK.
“There have been a lot of changes throughout the process, to make sure it fits in with health and safety as well as keeping the woman who wants to wear it safe.
“Also having this police Hijab will hopefully get more women involved in the police force.”
The police Hijab has been launched across the UK and other companies have shown an interest in getting them for their employees.
Nazia said: “We’ve had a lot of big companies and organisations get in touch about making Hijabs for them, which is really good and we’re humbled to have been given this opportunity.
Inspector Arfan Rahouf, who was involved in the Hijab development, said:
“I’m immensely proud of the Hijab design and I would like to thank Nazia and her team for their support in providing the right Hijab for Muslim female officers.
“It’s really important to make sure that the uniform for each and every police officer is fit for purpose, and I’m really pleased to say this design has now been made available to officers across North Yorkshire Police, as well as other agencies nationally.
“As a police force, we are committed to being more representative of the communities we serve and creating a more inclusive workforce.
“Through a greater understanding of our shared values, we can deliver a better service to all our communities.”
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