Muslim Woman Sues Michigan Agency for Making Her Remove Face Covering

A Muslim woman filed a lawsuit Thursday accusing Dearborn Heights, Mich., police of violating her constitutional rights by making her remove her Islamic head scarf after they arrested her for driving on a suspended license.

The lawsuit, filed in federal court in Detroit, asks for Dearborn Heights to "modify its current policy" so that Muslim women can wear Islamic head scarves during booking procedures, the Detroit Free Press  reports.

Malak Kazan of Dearborn Heights was pulled over by police in July on a traffic violation and then taken into custody on a traffic misdemeanor because of her suspended license, according to the lawsuit. The male police officer then asked Kazan to remove her head scarf to take her booking photo, which usually requires no head coverings or hats.

Kazan objected, saying her Islamic faith required her to cover her hair and neck in the presence of men who are not part of her immediate family, the lawsuit said.