Muslim Woman Appointed Norway’s Culture Minister
Al Arabiya News, September 23, 2012
Norwegian Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg has appointed a Muslim woman as part of his government during a Cabinet reshufle this week.
Hadia Tajik, 29, from Pakistani decent, was appointed on Friday as Norway’s minister of culture.
Hadia has become the first ever Muslim cabinet member and youngest ever government minister in the Scandinavian country.
The newly appointed minister of culture has already publicized her program for the upcoming months and highlighted that cultural diversity should become an undisputable part of Norway’s everyday life.
In 2009 she was elected as MP for the Norwegian Labour Party that represented Oslo.
Tajik had worked as journalist before she was made advisor to Minister of Justice, Knut Storberget between 2008 and 1009. During her service under Storberget the ministry of justice decided to allow police women to wear the hijab in the service, but the decision was quickly withdrawn after intense criticism from conservative parties and members of the government coalition.