Sultaana Freeman Loses Appeal to Wear Headscarf in Driver's License Photo

September 7, 2005

Source: Beliefnet

Wire Service: UPI

http://www.beliefnet.com/story/174/story_17449_1.html

On September 7, 2005 United Press International reported, "A Muslim woman in Florida has lost a state appeal to allow her to wear a veil for her driver's license photograph. The 5th District Court of Appeal in Daytona Beach upheld an Orlando civil trial court's decision that enforcing the full face photo requirement did not violate the state's Religious Freedom Restoration Act, because forcing Sultaana Freeman's compliance of the law did not place a substantial burden on her free exercise of religion... The Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles originally issued [Freeman] a license showing her wearing a veil in 2001, but later suspended it. In July 2003, Gov. Jeb Bush signed legislation requiring that Florida driver's licenses must include a picture of the driver's full face."