FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(Dallas, TX, 10/25/24) The Dallas/Ft. Worth office of the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR-TX, DFW) joins with Elbially Law and Spangler Law firms encouraging individuals who have had their religious head coverings removed by law enforcement to reach out to Elbially Law, Spangler Law and CAIR DFW to share their stories.
Religious head coverings such as the Hijab, the Turban, the Kippah are legally protected forms of religious expression under the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. Practicing Muslim women are obligated to cover their hair (hijab) in front of men they are not married or related to. Three women arrested earlier this year for protesting President Biden’s continued support of genocide in Gaza had their religious head coverings unlawfully removed by the Dallas County Sheriff's Office for their mugshots. Despite making it abundantly clear that these were religious headscarves, law enforcement insisted on the removal of their headscarves in front of male guards and inmates.
In a statement CAIR-TX board member and attorney Marwa Elbially labeled these incidents as “a surfacing pattern of clear Islamophobia” as well as “a demonstration of the systemic practices within Dallas County that allow deputies to strip individuals of their constitutional rights.”
Attorney Huma Yasin with Spangler Law emphasized that “the forced removal of these women’s headscarves while in custody — and in their mugshots — is not only a dehumanizing experience, but also a clear violation of their First Amendment rights. The women filing suit have suffered and continue to suffer mental anguish, physical and emotional distress, humiliation, and embarrassment, because of this discrimination.”
The pursuit of dignity and freedom from oppression is bound up within our right to freedom of religion and expression — the two cannot be distinguished or treated as separate. We encourage anyone that has faced similar experiences of forceful removal of their hijabs or religious head coverings to contact:
Elbially Law PLLC Spangler Law PLLC
[email protected] [email protected] (972) 423- 7330 (214) 932-3030