Victoria’s first policewoman to wear a hijab on duty has been trolled online after being honoured for her work promoting multiculturalism.
Muslim Maha Sukkar, 42, has joined the Victorian Honour Roll of Women, 13 years after joining the state’s police force by swearing on the Koran.
However, the recognition of her work as a multicultural liaison officer hasn’t pleased everyone, with several critics asking Victoria Police whether the Lebanese-born leading senior constable had embraced Australian values since immigrating 18 years ago.
Victoria’s first policewoman to wear a hijab on duty has been trolled online after being honoured for her work promoting multiculturalism.
Muslim Maha Sukkar joined the Victorian Honour Roll of Women, 13 years after joining the state’s police force (pictured in November 2004 with then commissioner Christine Nixon)
One man asked if she had embraced Australian values since she moved to Australia in 2000
‘She may be a good person and appreciate what you say she has achieved, however, it would appear that she has, herself, not truly integrated into the Australian culture by wearing a part of her uniform,’ one man wrote on their Facebook page.
Another man questioned how the senior constable was allowed a uniform modification to accommodate her religion.
‘For a start, the dress code is wrong,’ he said.
‘Imagine if I joined the police force and wanted to wear a head bandanna, what would they say?’
Her recognition as a multicultural liaison officer hasn’t pleased everyone, with several critics asking Victoria Police whether the Lebanese-born constable had embraced Australian values
One woman suggested her addition to the Victorian Honour Roll of Women was a token gesture because she is a Muslim.
‘Plenty of our dedicated police officers doing their job each day who will never be on the Honour Roll,’ she said.
‘These are the people who just get on with it without expecting or getting recognition.’
Another male critic wonder if she had done much to prevent terrorism.
One woman suggested her addition to the Victorian Honour Roll of Women was a token gesture because she is a Muslim
One man suggested he would fail to be given any exemption to wear a special head scarf
Another questioned if she had been able to prevent terrorism as a multicultural liaison officer
However one woman stood up for the Muslim officer told ‘haters’ to ‘get over’ themselves
‘What evidence is there of her preventing radicalisation?,’ he said.
Senior Constable Sukkar, who moved to Australia from Beirut in 2000, is described by Victorian Police as someone ‘dedicated to creating a Victoria where everyone feels welcome and safe’.
‘Her recent inclusion on the Honour Roll is in recognition of her groundbreaking leadership with Victoria’s multicultural communities,’ they announced on Facebook.
But one woman took on Constable Sukkar’s critics on the Victoria Police social media page.
‘Get over yourselves all you haters out there,’ she wrote.
‘I’m sick and tired of reading religious hatred remarks.’
Another woman described her as ‘an inspiration and a ground breaker’.
The former graphic designer moved from Beirut to Australia in 2000 and has been a senior constable since November 2008.
The senior constable joined Victoria Police in November 2004 as the state’s first police officer to be allowed to wear a traditional Muslim head-covering with her uniform.
In 2009, she was named Australian Muslim Women of the Year at the Australian Muslim Achievement Awards.
A year later, she was awarded the Australasian Council for Women and Policing Bravery Award in recognition of her work with multicultural communities.