Media Advisory: News Conference for Muslim who had Scarf Removed By Police
April 24, 2006 On Tuesday, April 25, the Chicago office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-Chicago) will hold a news conference to urge the Village of Arlington Heights and the State's Attorneys Office to drop charges against Rehana Khan, a Muslim woman who alleges that police ripped off her Islamic head scarf (hijab) during an arrest at a 2005 immigrant rights protest.
Khan is currently facing charges for battery against a police officer and resisting arrest and is set to go to trial tomorrow. SEE:http://cairchicago.org
WHAT: CAIR-Chicago News Conference on Rehana Khan Trial WHEN: Tuesday, April 25, 9 a.m. WHERE: In front of the main doors of the Third Municipal District Circuit Court of Cook County, 2121 Euclid Ave., Rolling Meadows, IL CONTACT: CAIR-Chicago Civil Rights Coordinator Christina Abraham, 312-212-1520, E-Mail: civilrights@cairchicago.org, CAIR-Chicago Executive Director Ahmed Rehab, 847-971-3963, E-Mail: director@cairchicago.org
"The arresting officers should not have ripped the hijab off Ms. Khan's head," said CAIR-Chicago Executive Director Ahmed Rehab. "Police officers do not normally strip arrestees, but rather pat them down or take them into private areas where they are searched by officers of the same gender."
"For Muslim women who wear it, removing the hijab in such a manner is equivalent to a forced state of nudity," said CAIR-Chicago Civil Rights Coordinator Christina Abraham.
CAIR-Chicago is urging the Village of Arlington Heights to discipline the officers who took part in Khan's arrest.
CAIR, America's largest Islamic civil liberties group, has 32 offices and chapters nationwide and in Canada. Its mission is to enhance the understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect civil liberties, empower American Muslims, and build coalitions that promote justice and mutual understanding.
CONTACT: CAIR-Chicago Civil Rights Coordinator Christina Abraham, 312-212-1520, E-Mail: civilrights@cairchicago.org, CAIR-Chicago Executive Director Ahmed Rehab, 847-971-3963, E-Mail: director@cairchicago.org
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