>--- [log in to unmask] wrote: > In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful > > CAIR > Council on American-Islamic Relations > 1050 17th Street, N.W., Suite 490 > Washington, D.C. 20036 > Tel: 202-659-CAIR (2247) > Fax: 202-659-2254 > E-mail: [log in to unmask] > URL: http://www.cair-net.org > > ----- > > NEWS FROM THE AMERICAN MUSLIM COMMUNITY - 10/2/99 > > ----- > > JURY SIDES WITH MUSLIM WOMEN ARRESTED WHILE WEARING > VEILS > > Associated Press Newswires, 10/1/1999 > > ----- > > Excerpts: > > "PORTSMOUTH, Va. (AP) - A jury awarded $125,000 to > each of two Muslim women > who were arrested at a supermarket in 1996 while > wearing religious veils. > > "The jury concluded Friday that Officer John M. > Walker was liable for > concluding that the women's veils violated a state > law against wearing > masks in public. > > "The two women, Najla E. Doran and Sherma D. > Humphrey, claimed false > imprisonment and assault and battery..." > > ----- > > FROM CAIR'S 1997 REPORT ON THE STATUS OF AMERICAN > MUSLIM CIVIL RIGHTS: > > "...two Muslim women in Norfolk, Virginia, were > taken into custody by > police officers for wearing face veils in public. > The women said they were > walking towards a store to shop when they were > approached by a Portsmouth > police officer who told them they couldn't enter the > store with a mask on. > > "One of the women wore a veil that revealed only her > eyes, while the other > wore a veil that covered her entire face. At their > refusal to remove the > veils, which they explained they wore for religious > reasons, they were > arrested, but later released without charge. > > "The women filed a complaint alleging they were > fondled by the officer and > his two partners during a weapons search, but the > police dispute the claim. > The women contacted CAIR, who contacted the police > department and the > Commonwealth State Attorney office. > > "Statements issued from the two departments > acknowledged there was a > misunderstanding. The code under which the women > were arrested was > originally targeted to outlaw Ku Klux Klan > activities, and makes the > wearing of masks in public illegal, although an > exemption is allowed for > religious practices. [The Virginian-Pilot, 9/18/96] > > ----- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L Web interface at: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/gambia-l.html ----------------------------------------------------------------------------