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Ga. Judge Jails Muslim Woman Over Head Scarf
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by 158 | December 18, 2008 at 06:24 am
128 views | 20 Recommendations | 8 comments
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Religious freedom or judges control of a courtroom?
A difficult choice. Judges have the power to set and
enforce rules for their courtrooms, for behavior, language,
dress. Should an exception be made for religious reasons?
If so, how far? For major religions or for all? What if the
woman had came in a full chador, covered head to foot?
A Muslim woman arrested for refusing to take off her head scarf at a courthouse security checkpoint said Wednesday that she felt her human and civil rights were violated. A judge ordered Lisa Valentine, 40, to serve 10 days in jail for contempt of court, said police in Douglasville, a city of about 20,000 people on Atlanta's west suburban outskirts.
Hall said Valentine, an insurance underwriter, told the bailiff that she had been in courtrooms before with the scarf on and that removing it would be a religious violation. When she turned to leave and uttered an expletive, Hall said a bailiff handcuffed her and took her before the judge.
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158
St. Louis, Missouri, United States
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Most RecentMost Recommended Comments (8)
at 10:56 on December 18th, 2008
Interesting questions, 158.
at 11:07 on December 18th, 2008
I don't have a good answer. Once you make exceptions, how far do you allow it to go.
at 11:03 on December 18th, 2008
My Grand mother would have been arrested a well and she was not religious or Muslim yet of the old Order.
at 11:09 on December 18th, 2008
I can see your point on this and agree to some extent. But if we allow headscarves, could we ban a chador?
at 11:04 on December 18th, 2008
Political demonstration, not religious.
at 11:14 on December 18th, 2008
''When she turned to leave and uttered an expletive"
You could be right. This does not sound very religious.
at 15:14 on December 18th, 2008
Thanks for this story, 158. It will be interesting to see how this one pans out!
at 19:21 on December 18th, 2008
Thank you. I will check soon for a follow up.