In a victory for Muslims in Denmark, the parliament's board of governors has ruled women MPs may wear the traditional Islamic headscarf inside the building.

But the board said the MPs must be recognisable, ruling out the wearing in parliament of the burka - which covers a women's body from head to toe, including her face.

The ruling was worded generally -- that MPs may dress as they wish in parliament, so long as they can be recognised by their colleagues -- but the decision was specifically taken up in response to the issue of women wearing the traditional Muslim headscarf.

The board's decision was greeted with satisfaction by the leftist Red-Green Alliance party's parliamentary candidate, Asmaa Abdol-Hamid, a Danish immigrant born in the United Arab Emirates to Palestinian parents.

"It's the decision I expected. Anything else would have been a blow against democracy and in conflict with the constitution,' she said.

The board's ruling on Tuesday came as a blow to the far-right Danish People's Party. The party waged a drawn-out battle against the headscarf and had sought to ban it in parliament.

Danish People's Party board member Soeren Espersen was the only one who voted against allowing the headscarf in parliament.

'I'm saddened by the decision. It's a blow to the oppression the headscarf symbolises,' said Espersen, cited by the Copenhagen Post.

Earlier this week, Denmark's Board of Justices stated that judges may also wear the Muslim headscarf.

There are around 270,000 Muslims in Denmark, 5 percent of the total population of 5.4 million, according to its official statistics.

Sources:

"Denmark: Green light for headscarves in parliament" ADNKronos April 9, 2008

"Headscarves in Parliament" Tne Brussels Journal April 9, 2008

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