01 April 2004
U.S. Arab, Muslim Groups Hail Support of Right to Wear Hijab
Department of Justice backs right of Oklahoma Muslim schoolgirl
Washington -- Groups representing American Muslims and Arab Americans praised the decision by the U.S. Department of Justice to intervene on behalf of a Muslim schoolgirl who is suing an Oklahoma public school district for her right to wear the Islamic head scarf or hijab to school.
Assistant Attorney General R. Alexander Acosta said March 31 that the Muskogee, Oklahoma, Public School District was wrong to suspend the girl for wearing a hijab.
"No student should be forced to choose between following her faith and enjoying the benefits of a public education," Acosta said.
In an April 1 press release, Arab American Institute (AAI) Chairman George Salem said, "Today the Department of Justice demonstrated its commitment to religious tolerance and equal protection under the law for all Americans regardless of religion or ethnicity. This is a major litigation stand that will send the message that any form of discrimination will not be tolerated by this Administration."
Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) Executive Director Nihad Awad described the move as a "significant legal step" that could help set precedents beneficial to "students of all faiths."
According to a March 31 press release, after the girl was suspended CAIR also alerted members of the American Muslim community and the press in a campaign "to request religious accommodation" from Oklahoma education officials at the state and local levels.
Assistant Attorney General Acosta said that although the Justice Department respects the authority of local school systems to set dress code standards, "such rules cannot come at the cost of constitutional liberties."
According to the Justice Department press release, the lawsuit, filed by the girl's parents, complains that the Muskogee school district violated the equal protection clause of the Fourteenth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, which bars U.S. states from applying dress codes "in an inconsistent and discriminatory manner."
CAIR's Awad said that in addition to benefiting the rights of students, the U.S. government action "also sends a clear message to the international community that America will defend its citizens' religious freedoms."
(The Washington File is a product of the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)
