Here’s more on the incident in Georgia in which a judge held a Muslim woman in contempt for wanting to wear her headscarf in the courtroom.
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I don’t think our government should make any accommodations for anyone’s religious beliefs. Take that headgear off lady, until you can get the laws changed, follow them.
If she had been in one of the Muslim countries and broken the law she would still be in jail.
I’m not saying she broke the law.
Love the podcast! I’ve listened to every episode and wish you the best for 2009. Hope you get an audio comment soon (I’m still on the down-low as a freethinker otherwise I would).
About this article, I’m not sure what a good solution would be. I believe in freedom of religion, and I don’t see why her wearing her headscarf would have disrupted anything in the courtroom. If no headgear is allowed at all, what would happen if there is a defendant who wears a headscarf? Would she be forced to either choose between taking off her headscarf or not attending her own trial?
But I also think allowing an exception to courtroom rules for religious reasons could start a slippery slope. What will or won’t qualify for an exception: only the “major” religions or any of them (Zoroastrians, Satanists)? Only with headwear, or other parts of their religion (e.g. will Muslims be allowed to kneel and face Mecca in the courtroom)? What proof would be needed that it’s a religious and not just a personal preference?
I guess whatever rules are developed, they should be applied equally. In France they’ve fought back and forth over whether veils should be allowed in school. In theory last I heard, no religious symbols are allowed, but usually children are allowed to wear crosses anyway.
I’m assuming in Georgia people generally swear on the Bible in court, so there is already religion in the courtroom. IMO, there should either be reasonable accommodations for religion, or else no religion allowed.