February 2, 2004

Dear Alabama Senators and Representatives:

In Alabama, Muslim women are being denied their right to obtain a driver's license. A new policy (DPS Policy #64) is requiring Muslim women to remove their religiously mandated headscarves, or hijab, for the driver's license photograph. While other states allow for reasonable religious accommodation, the Alabama Department of Public Safety is insisting on denying waivers it previously granted on religious or medical grounds.

Points:

• The hijab is the religiously mandated headscarf worn by Muslim women
• The hijab is a non-negotiable religious requirement for every Muslim woman
• The hijab does not cover any part of the face (hijab is not the niqab face veil)
• Women who wear hijab are easily identifiable because their faces are not covered
• The DPS Policy #64 is not law and was not approved by the Alabama Legislature
• The DPS previously issued waivers on religious or medical grounds
• The DPS has only recently stopped granting waivers on religious or medical grounds
• The DPS's claim they need to see hair, ears and neck is not valid:

• The DPS allows wigs and hairpieces in driver's license photographs, and does not require drivers who change their hair color or style to retake their photograph
• The DPS does not require individuals with long hair to push their hair behind their ears to make their ears visible
• The DPS does not require individuals wearing turtlenecks to pull their collars down or remove their shirts

• Discriminating against anyone based on their religion is a violation of the 1^st Amendment of the U.S. Constitution and is considered a human rights violation by Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Now that you are aware of this most pressing problem facing Alabama residents, we humbly request your support for allowing reasonable religious and medical accommodations for driver's license photographs.

For more information about this issue, go to www.rashidah.com.

Best regards,

La Tonya Floyd