Muslim Woman Sues to Wear Veil for License Wed May 28, 7:34 AM ET Add U.S. National - AP to My Yahoo! By MIKE SCHNEIDER, Associated Press Writer ORLANDO, Fla. - Experts in Islamic law are being called to testify in the lawsuit of a Muslim woman fighting a state order to take off her veil for her driver's license photo. Sultanna Freeman, 35, says Florida's insistence on photographing her face violates her religious rights. "I don't unveil ... because it would be disobeying my Lord," Freeman testified Tuesday at the start of her non-jury trial. Assistant Attorney General Jason Vail argued that having an easily identifiable photo on a driver's license is a matter of public safety. "It's the primary method of identification in Florida and the nation," Vail said. "I don't think there can be any doubt there is a public safety interest." Freeman's attorneys argue that state officials didn't care that she wore a veil in her Florida driver's license photo until after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, an allegation the state denies. "This is about religious liberty. It's about whether this country is going to have religious diversity," said Howard Marks, an attorney for the American Civil Liberties Union (news - web sites) of Florida. Both sides planned to call experts in Islamic law at the trial, which continues Wednesday. A copy of the Quran has been entered into evidence. Freeman, a convert to Islam previously known as Sandra Kellar, wore her veil for the photo on the Florida driver's license she obtained after moving to the state in 2001. Nine months later, she received a letter from the state warning that it would revoke her license unless she returned for a photo with her face uncovered. Freeman claims her religious beliefs require her to keep her head and face covered out of modesty and that her faith prohibits her face from being photographed.
Unbelievable. Why does the ACLU feel that society has to accomodate every unique situation for every single individual? This has NOTHING to do with religious freedom. I have no problem with people weiring veils an covering their faces. But if you don't have a valid ID, you can't drive. It's common sense.
Driving is a privlege, not a right. If she doesn't want to comply with the requirements to get a valid drivers license, then she just doesn't get one. Its taking cases like this that makes the ACLU a joke.
Thats just freakin r****ded. How the hell are you suppose to tell people apart then? Its dumb ****s like these that give the rest of us Muslims a bad name.
Unfortunately, I think Muslims have to worry about dumbasses flying planes into buildings more than this girl.
