Met Commissioner decries AI-generated suicide-bomb image targeting hijab-wearing officer

Pc Umar, the pioneering hijab-wearing police constable, was honored with the Outstanding Contribution to Women in Policing Award for her work on the Hijab Project and community outreach. Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark said the accolade triggered a torrent of online vilification, describing an AI-created image that depicted her holding a suicide bomb as "horrific". He noted that women and officers from minority ethnic groups are disproportionately targeted by such abuse, which also affects women MPs.

In a statement, the commissioner affirmed that career opportunities should be open to anyone, regardless of religious attire, and condemned the hateful comments as ignorant of Umar’s professional contributions. The Metropolitan Police Federation praised her efforts to improve uniform options for Muslim women officers and to support Muslim staff. Umar expressed humility and explained that her motivation stems from a childhood question about whether women like her could serve in policing.