Woman Sues Michigan Judge Over Order to Remove Hajib
Posted by Trevor Reid on August 26, 2009
According to the Detroit News, the Council on American-Islamic Relations “says it will file a federal lawsuit Wednesday against [Wayne County, MI Judge J. William Callahan] who ordered a Muslim woman to remove her head scarf as shown in this video posted by the plaintiff organization.
An assistant to the judge has responded that the woman never indicated the headwrap was worn as a religious practice. The judge has stated that had she so indicated he could not have ordered her to remove it. In the video, a man–apparently in court with the woman–does start to defend the scarf. He is cut off by the judge. What he had intended to say remains unclear. Michigan Supreme Court precedent has so far upheld judges’ lattitude to dictate attire in the court room.