Bill in Minnesota Legislature prompts dispute over Muslim women’s headscarves

A bill before the Minnesota legislature requiring that the full head and face of licensed drivers be shown in their photos and all state ID carts is drawing criticism for making exception for those who needed to wear headwear in connection with medical treatments or deformities, but makes no exception for religious reasons.

State Representative Steve Gottwalt said that the measure is a matter of public safety, adding that law enforcement officials need unobstructed images in order to identify people. However, many Minnesota Muslims cite feeling threatened over the bill. “There is no need to see the hair or the head because the face is enough to recognize somebody. You recognize the nose, the eyes, the mouth and that’s enough,” said Suban Khalif, 23, a Somalia-born student at the University of Minnesota’s College of Design.

While the bill may have been intended as a security measure, it’s unintended effect would curb religious freedom, and would potentially reach beyond Muslims, affecting Catholics, Jews, and Sikhs in the state, said a spokesperson for the Minnesota chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR).

Citing “public safety” concerns for the ban, the bill accommodates those who wear a head covering for medical reasons but fails to provide an accommodation for those who wear it for the constitutionally-protected right to practice their religion, added CAIR.

The bill, which was introduced on February 19th of this year, still has a long way to go before its approval to law.

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