From Oklahoma comes disturbing news that the state senate has dismissed a controversial bill (HB1645) that would have prohibited Islamic head scarves, or hijabs, on driver’s licenses photographs and photo IDs.
The Council on American-Islamic Relations, an organization dubbed two years ago as an “unindicted co-conspirator” by federal prosecutors in a Hamas funding case, hailed the news in a news release today.
Such accommodation could open the flood gates to similar identification card-photo requests. For instance:
- Wiccans might demand to be able to wear pointy black hats while being photographed;
- Pentecostals might demand to be photographed with poisonous snakes around their necks; and
- People who worship Batman might want to be photographed while wearing masks that cover their eyes, noses and much of their faces.
Welcome to the slippery slope!
3 responses so far ↓
1 Richard // Apr 7, 2009 at 2:38 pm
If the hijab doesn’t obscure the face, then what’s the problem? Is it the occlusion of the hair?
Something tells me that if you looked at a license photo of a woman in a hijab and then back at the person offering you the license and her hair wasn’t covered, you’d still recognize the person. You know, based on their face.
I have glasses on in my license photo. What’s the difference?
2 hotoffthepress2 // Apr 7, 2009 at 2:45 pm
Richard — Here’s a good story published Feb. 20 as this issue was gaining attention.
3 Nathan A. // Jul 23, 2009 at 7:27 pm
Granted that Muslims will be wearing these when they’re driving as well, I think this is a good move.
Also, those bullet points there are pretty tasteless. Maybe if you actually got to know these minorities, you might actually be able to say a few sentences without offending half the people who read it.
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