CAIR |
| Blog | Posted By: hindtodaynews on:4/25/2012 3:26:26 PM |
Muslim civil rights group thanks officials following meeting with community leaders
(ST. LOUIS, MO, 4/23/12) -- The St. Louis
chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-St. Louis)
today thanked county and law enforcement officials for agreeing to
provide religious accommodation for Muslim women who wear an Islamic
headscarf, or "hijab," and are held in the St. Louis County Jail in
Clayton, Mo.
CAIR-St. Louis made that request for accommodation after a
Muslim woman who was jailed recently for several hours because of an
unpaid traffic ticket reported that an officer forcibly removed her
hijab. Based on that request, Director of St. Louis County Justice
Services Herb Bernsen said he would review existing policies "to try to
work out a solution that would satisfy both our security needs and
individual religious concerns."
CAIR: Muslim's Arrest Spurs Policy Review in St. Louis County
CAIR: Muslim Civil Rights Group Urges St. Louis County Jail to Allow Headscarves for Female Inmates (AP)
In a meeting today that included Bernsen, Chief of Police for
the St. Louis County Police Department Colonel Tim Fitch, a
representative of CAIR-St. Louis, Muslim community leaders, and other
law enforcement and county officials, it was agreed that any Muslim
woman wearing hijab would be screened by a female officer in a private
area and would have her scarf returned following that screening.
A letter of apology will also be sent to the woman whose hijab was removed.
"We thank all those involved in discussing this issue for their
goodwill and flexibility in meeting both the religious needs of those
held in the jail and the legitimate safety and security needs of the
facility," said CAIR-St. Louis Executive Director Faizan Syed.
Syed said a similar policy on religious accommodation could be adopted by other area jails.
The U.S. Supreme Court recently refused to overturn a lower
court ruling that said a Muslim woman "had the right to wear the scarf
unless jailers could show it was a security risk."
In that case, the Muslim woman's suit cited the Religious Land
Use and Institutionalized Persons Act (RLUIPA), which prohibits state
and local governments from imposing "a substantial burden on the
religious exercise of a person residing in or confined to an
institution."
SEE: Muslim Woman Can Sue Jailers for Making Her Remove Her Headscarf
SCOTUS: Souhair Khatib Can Sue for Having to Remove Her Hijab
CAIR's Minnesota chapter (CAIR-MN) helped resolve a similar
case in which a Muslim woman sought to exercise her religious rights
while in jail.
SEE: CAIR-MN Calls on Sheriff's Office to Grant Hijab Accommodation
CAIR: Allow Hijab at Sherburne County Jail
The Washington-based group offers an educational toolkit, called "A Correctional Institution's Guide to Islamic Religious Practices," to help correctional officers gain a better understanding of Islam and Muslims.
CAIR is America's largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy
organization. Its mission is to enhance the understanding of Islam,
encourage dialogue, protect civil liberties, empower American Muslims,
and build coalitions that promote justice and mutual understanding.