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.

[nopardons]

Yes, I know what the TRAITOR did. I also know that many people, on line, pretend to be what and whom they aren't; from personal experience. Some people, have such nasty, litle lives, that the net is the only place where they can pretend to be " somebody "... through lies. : - )

I keep meaning to ask you, did you take your nic from the famous photographer, who used the same nic ?

[nopardons]

That you admit, that you are only here for " entertainment " , explains quite a lot. That you object to others taking things " seriously ", says quite a deal more ... about YOU ; none of it positive.

Oh goody, you don't remember me. That's fortuitous! I'd HATE to be " remembered " by you. Oh, and " like girls " all you care to; just don't flirt here. That's NOT the purpose of this forum, and BTW , I'm NOT at all interested in that ... especially from you .

You raised sheep in the basement of an apartment / house ? Sheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeesh ! At leasts you finally learned that there are ordinances against such things. Too bad, that you didn't even think to find out if that was permitted first. Another admission, about your irresponsibility . : - )

[VA Advogado]

Straining at gnats...

Thats what liberals do. The last refuge of legal scoundrels is the 'vague' claim. Thats why they got so pissed off at the US Supreme Court for using a variation of it to stop the Florida recount. Live by vague, die by vague you liberal scum!

[Harp]

Brit Hume is just about to do a "grapevine" on this topic.

Tune into Fox News Channel if you have it.

[nopardons]

And all of this garbage has exactly to do what in repect to the article of this thread ? And just because something may be true, in Canadaa, doesn't mean that it is also true in the USA ! Neither, is this about B> me , and you don't even know IF I drive or not / have a licence or not / own a car ( motor vehicle ) or not. Ergo, making it personal, and about me is irrelivant. You've also wasted a great deal of bandwidth, just to push your own aqgenda. Libertarian, are you ? : - )

[Saundra Duffy]

Give me a massive break!

[TUX]

Its really funny how the Moos will not show their faces but will throw up skirts and go in the street in sand country.

[Godel]

This is very simple. Your religion does not grant you the right to violate US Laws. If my religion said I needed to rob banks or murder people that would not make it legal. Nuff Said.

I've got an idea? Why don't we just do what true Islamic countries do and not allow her a drivers license at all. Problem solved. Sounds like this piece of offal wants to have it both ways.

[nopardons]

When the reply , to someone, ONLY deals with misspellings / typos, that means that the poster has NOTHING of worth to add to a thread, and is only a self aggrandizing egoist . Silly little newbie, try dealing with the topic of threads, instead of irreleivant replies.

[a_federalist]

yeah, right, you're a tribal american. you're just another white du liberal commie piece of excrement posting here on FR.

[StormEye]

When are Americans finally going to say that they have had enough of "diversity" crammed down their collective throats? When will America be "diversified" enough for the socialist/leftist DemonRATS?
Hey fellow Americans, had enough of "diversity" yet?

[JD86]

ROFLOL.......outstanding!

(wish I'd thought of it first)

[JD86]

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

Actually, I think before 9/11....we were just overwhelmed by PC garbage.....according to the article she actually was issued a FL license last Feb with her face covered.....after 9/11, they reviewed the situation and cancelled her license since she would not allow a "regular" photo...the error was in ever allowing "the coverup" in the first place.

[JD86]

just helping out where I can...:)

[JD86]

Florida actually issued her a license with her face covered in the photo last February, they reviewed the policy after 9/11 and cancelled her driver's license unless she allows a photo that will show her face.

[snippy_about_it]

Shoshoni you are a fraud. You pretend to know what you are talking about, yet you spout false information.

However, there is nothing whatsoever about driving, that is strictly and exclusively a Saudi thing, nowhere else, not even on the subcontinent.Untrue;

According to the report from Amnesty International, Saudi women faced discrimination in almost all aspects of life: decision-making, education, and work. Among the issues covered by this report are: discrimination by customs and laws, freedom of movement and association, restrictions on employment opportunities, arbitrary arrest and punishment, domestic violence and the condition of foreign female domestic workers.

Freedom of movement and association

Women in Saudi Arabia are not allowed to travel outside the country without the written permission of a male relative. They are not allowed to drive. They are not allowed to go out in public without the presence of a brother or uncle to whom marriage will not be permitted.

According to the report, such restrictions of freedom of movement can facilitate situations that in practice constitute imprisonment.

It is very common for a domestic worker or a Saudi Arabian woman to be locked inside the home at all times. Even though women's organizations have existed in Saudi Arabia since 1962, they are restricted by the state.

As a result there are no women's organizations that can openly report abuses against women.

[summer]

Thanks for the info! And, good to hear from you! :)

[summer]

Re your post #364 -- I caught it! I think they all read FR! :)

[egb18delta]

This is insane...And I believe this is a test... If she doesn't want to show her face on a drivers license, fine... Better have your Passport or Green/Pink card with you... How does this person cash a check??? Use a credit card?? Actually.. She looks like one of them Killers that escaped from Texas... But it is hard to tell...Enuff of a rant...

[MrMiteE]

I posted nothing about you; I merely posted to you. You posted earlier that there was no right to use the highway. I believe you are wrong.
As for wasting bandwidth, at least I don't resort to vitriol. The entire post was from a book. For you to assume it was directed as an attack would imply that the author knew you when it was written. I also notice you fail to attack any of the ideas in the post. Does this mean you agree that it is fundamentally the truth?

I have read a bit of the Florida Statutes and they use the same methods described. See their definition of Motor Vehicle.

Peace, eh?