Community Corner
Jail Procedure Changed After Ballwin Woman's Rights Violated, Group Says
The St. Louis County jail has changed its jailing procedure after a Muslim woman from Ballwin recently was required to remove her hijab or head scarf before being jailed.
St. Louis County representatives said this week that they will be changing part of their security procedures after a Muslim woman from Ballwin recently was required to remove her hijab or head scarf while being jailed, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported.
The woman, Basra Noor, 23, was arrested by St. Louis County Police in January near the West. St. Louis County Mosque because of a warrant related to an unregistered vehicle. Following her arrest, Noor was taken to the St. Louis County Justice Center in Clayton, where she was asked to remove the scarf.
Following the incident, the St. Louis chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations has since asked that the St. Louis County Jail adopt a policy granting religious accommodations for Muslims who wear a hijab or religious headscarf.
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The Post-Dispatch reported that going forward, a woman wearing a hijab will be taken to a private search area for inspection but will be allowed to put the head scarf back on while being jailed. St. Louis County jail representatives said they still are looking into procedure for inmates jailed for an extended period of time.
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