Dearborn Hijab Lawsuit Dropped in Light of Video Evidence

[lostinblue 1,989]

Dearborn Hijab Lawsuit Dropped in Light of Video Evidence

Internal investigation revealed claims of religious discrimination were false, Dearborn police officials say.

Dearborn, MI

DEARBORN, MI – A local Muslim woman has dropped her 2015 federal lawsuit against members of the Dearborn Police Department, whose officers she claimed violated her civil rights by requiring her to remove her hijab when she was taken into custody on a traffic warrant.

The city of Dearborn, which was also named as a defendant, said in a statement Wednesday that video taken in the police department’s booking room during the arrest “revealed that her claims were false.”

]Maha Aldhalimi had claimed in the lawsuit that she had pleaded sever times with officers to allow her to leave her religious head covering on because of her deeply held religious belief. She claimed that if she didn’t remove it, it would be removed against her will.

When presented with the video evidence from the internal investigation, led by Police Captain Issa Shahin, Aldhalimi’s attorney withdrew the lawsuit on March 10, the city said.

“Dearborn police remain committed to respecting the rights of all people within our custody and we follow a stringent policy regarding religious head coverings,” Dearborn Police Chief Ronald Haddad said in the statement. “We knew this lawsuit had no merit and are glad that the people we serve can have confidence that our officers acted properly in this case.”

City officials said the lawsuit “attracted a great deal of unfavorable media coverage to Dearborn and to the Dearborn Police Department that lasted for weeks.”

About 40 percent of Dearborn residents are Arab Americans, and many of them are Muslims.

http://patch.com/michigan/dearborn/dearborn-hijab-lawsuit-dropped-light-video-evidence-0?utm_source=alert-breakingnews&utm_medium=email&utm_term=politics%20%26%20government&utm_campaign=alert

[Boiler 43,433]

So is she being prosecuted? Sounds like a hate crime.

[ExPatty 502]

So did they arrest her and allow her to keep it on the entire time? I'm surprised her husband let her out of the house to begin with.

[lostinblue 1,989]

http://detroit.cbslocal.com/2015/06/30/muslim-woman-sues-dearborn-after-she-says-she-was-forced-to-remove-head-scarf-while-under-arrest/

DEARBORN (WWJ/AP) – The city of Dearborn is facing a federal lawsuit after police officers allegedly forced a Muslim woman to remove her head scarf following her arrest.

The American Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee names Dearborn, the Dearborn Police Department, Police Chief Ronald Haddad and other officers in the lawsuit, filed Tuesday in Detroit federal court.

Maha Aldhalimi was told that she was wanted for an unpaid parking violation when she was arrested in Septamber — but she said didn’t know about the ticket.

Once in custody at the Dearborn Police Department, she said she was ordered to remove her headscarf, known as a hijab, for a photo — in the presence of several male officers.

Aldhalimi said she was crying while explaining that removing the scarf in front of male strangers would violate her religious beliefs, and that she finally agreed to remove it under threat.

As part of Muslim beliefs, the hijab — which, unlike the niqab or burka, covers the hair and neck but not the face — must be worn when in the presence of any males who are not family members.

“I am scared to leave my house now, and if I see a police officer when I am driving somewhere, I start shaking uncontrollably and turn in the opposite direction,” Aldhalimi said.

Attorneys for Aldhalimi claim Dearborn police of violated federal law.

“We must not live in a society where the oppression of women or religious minorities can be condoned, especially when this violation is committed by the very entity charged with protecting them – the Dearborn Police Department,” ADC-Michigan Director, attorney Fatina Abdrabboh said in a statement.

The city of Dearborn — which has one of the largest populations of Arab-Americans in the U.S. — declined to comment.

This incident is similar to another — earlier this year in Dearborn Heights — in which a 27-year-old Muslim woman said was forced to remove her hijab while in custody for driving on a suspended license. She reportedly asked for a female police officer, but was told that one was not available.

A lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court against the city of Dearborn Heights in January seeks to change the policy and asks that officers undergo sensitivity and diversity training. That case is still pending.

http://detroit.cbslocal.com/2015/06/30/muslim-woman-sues-dearborn-after-she-says-she-was-forced-to-remove-head-scarf-while-under-arrest/

“I am scared to leave my house now, and if I see a police officer when I am driving somewhere, I start shaking uncontrollably and turn in the opposite direction,” Aldhalimi said

# Muslim lies matter

[OnMyWayID 1,489]

1. Liar liar hijab on fire

2. Another good reason police should wear body cams at all times - the protection goes both ways (I know this one was after the fact but still...)

3. Religious rights should not trump (small T) in this case. The police should be able to request removal of any garments covering identity - part of the price for living in a secular-sorta society.

Edited March 25, 2016 by OnMyWayID

[Boiler 43,433]

So did they arrest her and allow her to keep it on the entire time? I'm surprised her husband let her out of the house to begin with.

What was she doing outside unescorted by a male family member.