Muslim Woman Sues over Drivers License [FL: Show your face on driver license photo; FL Woman: No]

The Orlando Sentinel ^ | Jan. 30, 2002 | P. Gutierrez and A. Rippel

[summer]

Muslim woman sues state over drivers license



By Pedro Ruz Gutierrez and Amy Rippel |
Sentinel Staff Writers
Posted January 30, 2002

WINTER PARK -- A 34-year-old woman is suing the state for suspending her Florida drivers license after she refused to have her photo taken without an Islamic veil.

Sultaana Freeman, a former evangelist preacher who converted to Islam about five years ago and wears the traditional niqab, says her religion doesn't allow her to show her face to strangers.

She filed suit earlier this month asking an Orange County judge to review her case.

"I don't show my face to strangers or unrelated males," Freeman said in an interview Tuesday at the office of her American Civil Liberties Union attorney. Only her emerald-green eyes and mascara showed through her veil.

The niqab is different from a hijab, or partial head covering, which doesn't hide the face and which some Muslim women wear for their drivers license photos.

Freeman, who is on an apparent collision course with the state, is bracing for a possible showdown on the fundamental freedoms of the U.S. Constitution.

"Florida law requires a full facial view of a person on their drivers license photo," said Robert Sanchez, a spokesman for the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. "We have no choice but to enforce it."

Florida law says license applicants shall be issued "a color photographic or digital imaged drivers license bearing a full-face photograph."

ACLU lawyer Howard Marks argues that the law is vague. "I don't think the state statutes mandate a photograph," he said.

Marks said he also will cling to a state law on religious freedom that states the "government shall not substantially burden a person's exercise of religion. "

Barry University Professor Robert Whorf said the state is probably within its right to ask for a full-facial photograph. "It makes common sense if the state of Florida were discriminating against her because of her religion; that would more likely be unconstitutional," he said. "If the state of Florida's rationale for insisting the veil not cover the face is for law-enforcement purposes that apply to everyone, then clearly the state of Florida is not discriminating against anyone for religious reasons."

To husband Abdul-Malik, also known as Mark Freeman, the state's action is an infringement on his and his wife's rights.

"It's a reflection of Sept. 11," said Abdul-Malik, 40, a 1980 Edgewater High School graduate and 1984 Florida State University graduate.

The Freemans said they only want recognition that their interpretation of Islam requires women to cover their faces.

Sultaana Freeman said she never had trouble in Illinois, where she worked as a civil engineer with the state's utilities company. That state, without objection, issued her license with a photo that showed only her eyes.

Her Florida license was issued with her face covered last February, but the state demanded a new photo without her veil in November. State record checks began after Sept. 11.

Altaf Ali, executive director of the Florida chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, said he knows of three other times Muslim women were refused Florida drivers licenses because of their headdresses. "I'm sure there's a lot more that's happening and not getting reported," he said.

Ali is asking the state to clarify its policy on religiously mandated clothes, and he wants the state to train employees about Muslim needs.

Yasmin Khan, 39, of West Palm Beachsaid she tangled with motor-vehicle officials when she was refused a drivers license in mid-December. Khan, a native of Trinidad and a Muslim, said she pulled her headdress back to her hairline -- as far as her religious beliefs would allow -- for the Dec. 17 photo but was told she needed to remove it completely. When she refused, she was denied a drivers license, she said.

"I decided to call anybody and everybody because I needed my license. I have kids, and I need to leave my home," she said.

Two days later, after getting help from local politicians, Khan was photographed with her hijab pulled back for her new drivers license.

In Daytona Beach earlier this month, Najat Tamim-Muhammad, 41, was refused a Florida identification card because she declined to remove her hijab.

Two years ago, Tamim-Muhammad, a native of Morocco, removed her headdress for the ID photo, but her husband said she did it only because she spoke no English and was unsure of her legal rights.

Idris Muhammad, her husband, said they plan to go back to the office to explain to a supervisor why she cannot remove the hijab. They hope to have the photo taken at that time.

"We understand the fear that comes with dealing with people you don't know or understand," he said. "In my opinion, it violates our equal rights under the law. Most people, when you sit down and explain why the women wear the hijab and the seriousness of not having it on, understand."

Amy C. Rippel can be reached at arippel@orlandosentinel.com or 407-420-5736. Pedro Ruz Gutierrez can be reached at pruz@orlandosentinel.com or 407-420-5620.

[NYCVirago]

Not just a troll, a banned troll back with a new name.

Yeah, and did you see how he claimed that his identity was based on his deathless prose, not his screen name? Unfortunately, there are so many condescending twits on the internet, that it's hard to identify him just on that!

[Don Joe]

"I oughta post my driver's license picture on my profile page. I look insane - wild-eyed and large-haired - absolutely nothing like my profile pics. (My own mother asked me if I got blasted before I went in for the renewal.)"

When I last got my license renewed, the dolt at the machine refused to proceed unless I took off my glasses and smiled. The result is a DL photo that looks like an old drunk on a bad day. (The previous DL photo had me looking like a kneecap-buster, I guess there's no winning with these folks...)

[Long Cut]

You:"Don't Americans try to impose their Western Standards on everyone else?"

Why, of course. Ours work.

[HowlinglyMind-BendingAbsurdity]

When do the deportation proceedings begin?

Precisely HOW would one verify that this was a female Muslim behind the veil?

[Long Cut]

Seems to me we never heard about silliness like this before the attacks. Did the Muslims decide to be "opressed" now, too?

As an aside, I'm always amazed when an American CONVERTS to Islam. I usually think they're A. looking for attention, or B. In prison and bored.

[Long Cut]

Bump. The silliness continues.

[summer]

Re your post #321 -- An image of her actual license in full was posted earlier on this thread. This is the actual photo of her.

[summer]

Re your post 267 - Thanks for posting that interesting link.

[summer]

Even Saudi Arabia has started introducing full-face ID cards for women.

Very interesting.

[proudofthesouth]

Yes. Count me in on this one!

[conqueror]

When I was in Saudi Arabia I needed a drivers license in connection with my work. One of the requirements for a foreigner (infidel) to get a license was that first he had to give a pint of blood because the good muslims would not. I would submit that being photographed is a much less onerous requirement. P.S. Why can't these good peaceful people simply respect American customs?

[summer]

Re your post #325 and your post #305 -- But I think in your post #305 you actually provided the legal grounds as to why she DOES need to comply with FL state law in the subject regard:

...only so far restrained as the Rights of others may make it necessary for the welfare of all other citizens.

I think it would an unnecessary burden on society -- especially a police officer who may pull her over and try to determine if SHE is actually the person on the license.

Because as you know, someone else may actually be using her license.

Who knows all the friends of this woman? What if she hangs out with terrorists? I'm not saying she does -- but do you know for sure she doesn't? Also -- can you guarantee that her license info will never be stolen by terrorists, as it seems to me they would just LOVE this kind of no-photo license to carry around for their female suicide bombers!

Consequently, for many reasons, I don't think she has a leg to stand on here.

My welfare as a citizen depends on that cop being able to do his or her job. If FL issued licenses her way, that cop has no way of knowing who he or she actually pulled over. She is the one who needs restrained in this matter. Not the cop.

[summer]

She [this Muslim woman filing suit] is the one who needs restrained in this matter

[summer]

Thanks for your posts, JD86. :)

[summer]

One of the requirements for a foreigner (infidel) to get a license was that first he had to give a pint of blood because the good muslims would not. I would submit that being photographed is a much less onerous requirement

I agree!

[Kaslin]

It doesn't mean that she moved to the States. She might have been born here. After all it says in the second paragraph of the article that she

Sultaana Freeman,former evangelist preacher converted to Islam about five years ago

[NYCVirago]

Check out this article from the CAIR site about a similar Florida case:

Head covering keeps woman from getting ID photo taken

(By CINDI BROWNFIELD, Daytona Beach News-Journal, 1/24/2002)

Najat Tamim-Muhammad considers herself a deeply religious woman. So devout, in fact, that it may keep her from getting a Florida driver's license.

Tamim-Muhammad, 41, a practicing Muslim, is battling the state Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles over the agency's requirement that she remove her head covering, a scarf called the "hijab," for her photograph on a state-issued identification card. State law, which also applies to driver's licenses, requires "a full-face photograph."

"To take it off would be the equivalent of some other woman being forced to remove her blouse," said Ibrahim Hooper, spokesman for the Council on American-Islamic Relations, a Washington, D.C.-based Islamic advocacy group.

Practicing Muslim women are required by their religion to keep all but their face and hands covered while in public...

[StayoutdaBushesWay]

I hope you are right, but you know how PC is these days.

Yep, and I just feel it deep inside that they are going to cave into this issue. I'd be suprised if the state holds it's ground on this.

[DJ88]

Ok..I'll check it out. I guess it was "superimposed" over the license then? Not that I really care that much, just curious.

[nopardons]

From your first post, on this thread, it was patently obvious, that you were here to just play games. Of course you aren't " serious ", and this is all just mind games / fun, or you. That makes you a fraud .

Either stay on topic (you haven't, but instead, engaged in misdidrection / personal attacks / pushing other's buttons), or don't reply. That is the newly stated directive from Jim. : - )

Again with the personal attacks ? You have become so predictable, boring, and irrelivant. Thanks for the laugh.

Wrong case, and even when that was continuously pointed out to you, you ignored it . This isn't about you; no matter what you think. Having trouble concentrating ?