CAIR-NY, ECBAWM File Lawsuit Against Suffolk County Police Department Over Forced Hijab Removal
Credits: Pexels/EKATERINA BOLOVTSOVA
(NEW YORK, NY, 1/17/2024) – The New York chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-NY), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, and Emery Celli Brinckerhoff Abady Ward & Maazel LLP (ECBAWM) today announced the filing of a lawsuit against the Suffolk County Police Department over the forced removal of a Muslim woman’s Islamic headscarf, or hijab.
In 2022, Marowa Fahmy was arrested by the Suffolk County Police Department (SCPD) based on a false tip. While in custody, the SCPD subjected her to an invasive body search, touching her inappropriately while male officers watched, and removed her hijab. Despite her repeated pleas, the SCPD refused to give her back her hijab, and she remained uncovered for several hours until her release. Together with co-counsel, ECBAWM, the lawsuit alleges that the SCPD's conduct violated New York State and Federal law.
In a statement, CAIR-NY Legal Fellow Burhan Carroll said:
“SCPD's hijab-removal policy is inhumane, regressive, and clearly unlawful. CAIR-NY asserts that the rights of Muslim Americans do not stop at the doors of the local police precinct. We will continue to fight on behalf of our community members who have been wronged by law enforcement. We hope this filing will result in justice for Ms. Fahmy and will protect others from future harm.”
In a statement, ECBAWMM Partner O. Andrew F. Wilson said,
“What happened here was wrong. Religious practice and police practice are not incompatible. We are hopeful that this case can set a standard that requires Suffolk County to protect the religious freedom of New Yorkers who, like Ms. Fahmy, choose to wear religious head coverings.”
CAIR’s national office offers educational booklets, called “A Correctional Institution’s Guide to Islamic Religious Practices,” and “A Law Enforcement Official’s Guide to the Muslim Community,” to help law enforcement authorities gain a better understanding of Islam and Muslims.
Emery Celli Brinckerhoff Abady Ward & Maazel LLP is a premier litigation boutique that focuses on civil rights, commercial, criminal, and ethics matters. They represent individuals, businesses, and institutions in all aspects of litigation and pre-litigation dispute resolution, from negotiation, mediation and arbitration, through hearings, trials, and appeals.
CAIR-NY's mission is to protect civil rights, enhance understanding of Islam, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.
La misión de CAIR-NY es proteger las libertades civiles, mejorar la comprensión del Islam, promover la justicia, y empoderar a los musulmanes en los Estados Unidos.
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CONTACT: Burhan Carroll, Esq. , CAIR-NY Legal Fellow, BCarroll@cair.com 347-433-6876;
Rabea Ali, CAIR-NY Communications Coordinator, rali@cair.com