Hijab and Niqab Removal at Security Checkpoints

A professor of Islamic history at Georgetown University, John Voll, has stated that requiring a Muslim woman to remove her hijab or niqab at a security checkpoint in a courthouse, as the Maryland Attorney General has ruled, is the equivalent of a public strip search.

"The parallel would be for a deputy sheriff to require a woman going through security to take off her brassiere right there in the inspection section," he said.

At issue are customary security measures employed to properly identify people and assure they are not carrying contraband.

Frankly, I suggest that if a person can't be identified properly, there is no security. Therefore, if a woman attempts to enter the courthouse wearing a bra over her face, it's quite reasonable to tell her to remove it.

Nevertheless, Professor John Voll and the ACLU are in strong opposition to having Muslim women take off their hijabs and niqabs at security checkpoints. The issue will probably stew for a while.