Muslim women in US to receive $17 mln for being taken photos without hijabs

Muslim women suing police officers. Photo: nytimes

The city of New York intends to settle a class-action lawsuit filed by two Muslim women who were forced to remove their headscarves for photographs at a police station, paying out $17.5 million.

According to the lawsuit filed by Jamilla K. and Arwa A., they felt humiliated and unprotected when police officers forced them to remove their hijabs to take photographs at the police station immediately after their arrests in 2017.

Jamilla K. was arrested in January 2017. Police officers demanded that she remove her hijab to take a photo and threatened her with legal action if she refused.

"When they made me remove my hijab, I felt as if I were naked," the Muslim woman stated.

Arwa A., arrested in August of the same year, said she felt broken inside when her police photo was taken in front of dozens of male officers and more than 30 detainees.

Officials initially defended this practice, stating that officers had to balance respect for religious customs with the "lawful necessity of police" to photograph detainees.

However, in 2020, the police changed this norm. Now, detainees are allowed to keep their head coverings on for photographs at the precinct, except for head coverings that obscure a person's face.

Earlier, the UOJ reported that in the United States, a Muslim woman was awarded $85,000 for being forced to remove her hijab.

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