VALDOSTA — Five days after allegations of discrimination came out against the Valdosta Municipal Court after Judge Vernita Lee Bender denied access to a Muslim woman who was wearing a traditional head scarf, the city has yet to release an official statement.
“This is an unfortunate situation,” stated a brief press release from the city public information office. “We have been contacted by the appropriate parties and have been asked not to release a statement until further discussions can be completed. We are hopeful that an understanding will be reached that will be satisfactory to everyone involved.”
The Anti-Defamation League came out against the decision to deny access to the courtroom to Muslims wearing religious head scarves.
“We strongly object to the court’s refusal to allow Ms. (Aniisa) Karim’s right to keep her head covered as part of her religious practices,” said Bill Nigut, ADL southeast regional director. “While we appreciate concerns about security, the court cannot simply shrug off religious liberty and the equal protection clause of the Constitution, which are among the most precious gifts of our democracy.”
While trying to contest a speeding ticket, 20-year-old Aniisa Karim was informed that she could not enter the courtroom wearing her scarf, even after she explained that she wore the scarf for religious purposes.
Through the court clerk, Bender reportedly informed Karim that the denial of entry was due to “rules that everyone has to follow.”
Karim contacted a Washington-based civil liberties group, Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR). In a letter addressed to Georgia Attorney General Thurbert Baker, CAIR argued that denial of access to a public courtroom based on religious beliefs or practices was in violation of Title III of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and was an infringement on Karim’s First and Fourteenth Amendment rights to free religion and equal protection under the law.
Feeling as though she was given no other option, Karim pleaded nolo contendre and paid the $168 fine for her speeding ticket, which did not require her to enter the courtroom.
On behalf of Karim, CAIR requested that Baker “take appropriate action to ensure that the legal, religious and civil rights of Georgians of all faiths be maintained. The group is also seeking a formal apology from Bender and a written assurance that Karim and all others wearing religious attire be allowed in her courtroom.
In an earlier interview with The Valdosta Daily Times, Karim stated, “I feel like in the year 2007 things like this should not happen any more.”
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