California Sheriff’s Office Claim of Not Violating Muslim Woman’s Religious Rights Refuted
The San Francisco Bay Area office of the council (CAIR-SFBA) on Tuesday refuted claims by the Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office that it did not violate the religious rights of a Muslim woman detainee when officers demanded she remove her Islamic headscarf (hijab).
CAIR-SFBA reiterated its call for the Sheriff’s Office to respond to its recent demand letter.
To date, over 1,000 individuals have emailed the Sheriff’s Office and County Supervisors raising their concerns about the incident.
In response to media interviews with CAIR-SFBA and its client, the Sheriff’s Office issued a statement, claiming that the woman removed her hijab herself.
According to Santa Clara County policy, however, removal of a hijab must be done in private when requested by a detainee, booking photos must allow the wearing of a hijab, and the hijab must be returned (or an alternative provided) following any search—none of which happened to CAIR-SFBA’s client.
In a statement, CAIR-SFBA Senior Civil Rights Attorney Jeffrey Wang said, “Our allegations remain. Ms. Aden was required to remove her hijab—even after explaining that she could not do so in the presence of men. She was also photographed and not provided her jail-issued alternative covering throughout her three days in custody. Such actions violate our client’s religious freedom and Santa Clara County’s own policy. CAIR-SFBA stands by its demands and urges the Sheriff’s Office to remedy the harms it has caused.”
Source: Cair.com
