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A Muslim woman filed suit against the Dearborn Heights, MI police for violation of her religious rights on Thursday. She was arrested for driving on a suspended license and while being booked, the police required her to remove her hijab. According to her religion, it is only appropriate to remove this in the presence of other women, close male relatives, or her husband. She requested a female officer take the photo, and that request was refused. A male officer made her remove it and took the photo. She said she felt violated and humiliated, and wearing the hijab is a part of her faith's requirement for modesty, and as a practicing Muslim, she has worn it for 12 years. Here is the article from USA Today. What are your thoughts?
Personally, I agree she has a right to wear the hijab and that her religious rights should be respected just as if she were Christian. However, if a female officer took the photo of her head without the hijab on, male officers would then see the picture without her wearing the scarf, so I don't see what difference it makes. The only way it would make a difference is if her photo were taken with the hijab on. Perhaps a female officer should have removed the hijab, searched her hair and neck, then allowed her to be photographed with it on.
Well, whether or not it mades a difference, if she was willing to have the photo taken without the Hijab if a female police office only was present, then it seems to avoid hassle, that could have been done.
Since in principle I say that human law supersedes religious, I hope she loses, but it's a pity it had to come to this.
I read an article about this earlier this morning and it said the law in Dearborn states that a person being photographed after an arrest must not have their head covered.
If that is the case, then the police were just enforcing the law.
I think this is the point right here, it didn't have to come to that. But when you go to jail, you aint got no rights to be treated as a human. They stripped me down and made me feel like an animal, and there I was in all my shame standing, bending over and things I don't even want to discuss. You go to a small city and sometime there are humans that work there. But you go to a big city and go to jail, and humanity has been left on the other side of the wall.
I am ok with the rule that you cannot have a head covering when getting a mug shot, but I tend to think that having a female officer do the mug shot was not an unreasonable accommodation.
I am ok with the rule that you cannot have a head covering when getting a mug shot, but I tend to think that having a female officer do the mug shot was not an unreasonable accommodation.
-NoCapo
The article I read this morning said there were no female officers available at that time.
The article I read this morning said there were no female officers available at that time.
Then hold her for a few minutes until one becomes available. I mean, if she had to be strip searched they would wait, they could have been a bit more sensitive. In a place like Dearborn, they should be a little better about this. I tend to think they knew better, but they did it to put the Muslim in her place... I don't know that they violeted he rights, or that what they did was criminal, but it was uncalled for.
Then hold her for a few minutes until one becomes available. I mean, if she had to be strip searched they would wait, they could have been a bit more sensitive. In a place like Dearborn, they should be a little better about this. I tend to think they knew better, but they did it to put the Muslim in her place... I don't know that they violeted he rights, or that what they did was criminal, but it was uncalled for.
-NoCapo
Yep. There was an easy fix and now they're hip-deep in a can of worms.
Yep. There was an easy fix and now they're hip-deep in a can of worms.
+1. I keep trying to rep you, and the system says ERROR! The lady offered them two simple solutions:
1. male officer photograph her with hijab
2. female officer photograph her without hijab (or with)
I wonder if this was more about making a point. How hard would it have been to acquire a female officer, anyway?
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