Queen Beatrix pilloried for hidjab

Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands attracted criticism from various far-right groups in her country for wearing a headscarf or hidjab during her three-day state visit to Oman. “It is absolutely nonsense,” the Queen said to reporters who accompanied her on her tour in reaction to comments made from Dutch politicians. On Thursday afternoon footage of her in a red headscarf draped over her traditional black hat at the Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque, was aired leading to a barrage of criticism from Dutch anti-Muslim parties. She was also wearing a headscarf in  Abu Dhabi at the beginning of the week, where she went with her son Crown Prince Willem-Alexander and his wife Princess Maxima, who was also photographed wearing a turquoise headscarf. Notorious anti-Islam politician Geert Wilders from the far right Party for Freedom (PVV), which backs Prime Minister Mark Rutte's coalition government, reacted by saying that the headscarf is a sign of 'female oppression' and asked the Prime Minister to justify his support for the Queen's actions. Prime Minister Rutte responded by saying that it is a matter of showing respect to a country’s dress code when visiting places of worship.