(ATLANTA, GA – 12/11/2018) The Georgia chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations today congratulated Genevra M. Wilson—an American Muslim woman who serves in the United States Navy Reserves—for her elevation to the post of Chief Petty Officer, and for winning approval to continue wearing a hijab with her new uniform.
On July 27th, 2018, CAIR-Georgia sent a letter to the Navy seeking approval for Chief Petty Officer Wilson’s religious accommodation request. Wilson continued to wear her hijab while waiting for official approval, which she finally received last month.
Chief Petty Officer Wilson appears to be the first Muslim woman in the history of the United States Navy to serve at that rank while wearing a hijab.
In a statement, CAIR-Georgia executive director Edward Ahmed Mitchell said:
As of 2017, the U.S. Army has also permitted Muslim servicewomen to wear hijabs as part of their official uniform.