A St. Cloud legislator's bill would require full exposure
of the head and face in driver's license photos. A Somali
group says the proposal would violate their freedom of
religion.
State Rep. Steve Gottwalt, of St. Cloud, introduced the
bill last month. The Somali United Movement, a group of
college-aged Somalis working to improve community relations
for Somalis in Minnesota, noticed the bill last week and
issued a press release protesting it.
Rep. Gottwalt could not be immediately reached for
comment, but here is the text of the bill:
Every license must bear a colored photograph or an
electronically produced image of the licensee that shows
the full head and face of the person.
Here is what the Somali United Movement press release
said:
This legislation will impact the lives of thousands
of Muslim women in Minnesota from diverse ethnic and
social backgrounds who cover their hair as an expression
of faith.
Not only does this prospective requirement violate
the right to religion of marginalized communities
particularly that of Muslim women, but the requirement
also creates additional problems.
Even if women remove their head covering for a photo,
they would continue to wear this covering in their daily
routines - causing them to run into issues when they
must show proof of ID for various social, and security
purposes.
"Full head shot technically means you need a 3-D shot,"
says Hindia Ali, who is part of the student group. " We
can't afford a 3-D shot in the recession right now."
"This does not just offend Muslims, it also offends
Sikh -- their men wear a turban on their head for cultural
and religious reasons," Ali says.
By Erin Carlyle
