Published:  September 3rd, 2009 18:54 EST
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President Cites CAIR Hijab Case
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In his address during last night`s White House iftar, President Obama said: "One of those values is the freedom to practice your religiona right that is enshrined in the First Amendment of the Constitution. Nashala Hearn, who joins us from Muskogee, Oklahoma, took a stand for that right at an early age. When her school district told her that she couldn`t wear the hijab, she protested that it was a part of her religion. The Department of Justice stood behind her, and she won her right to practice her faith. She even traveled to Washington to testify before Congress. Her words spoke to a tolerance that is far greater than mistrustwhen she first wore her headscarf to school, she said, `I received compliments from the other kids.`"  SEE: White House Press Release on Iftar Dinner
In 2004, CAIR issued the following news release: Muslims Welcome Justice Department Hijab Defense
DOJ supports religious attire of OK Muslim student
(WASHINGTON, D.C., 3/31/04) The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) today welcomes a Department of Justice (DOJ) decision to support the right of an Oklahoma student to wear an Islamic head scarf, or hijab.
School officials in Muskogee, Okla., had suspended the Muslim sixth-grader twice last fall because they claimed her hijab violated their dress code policy prohibiting hats, caps, bandanas or other headwear.
A CAIR alert about the girl`s suspension drew international media attention and prompted hundreds of concerned Muslims to contact local and state education officials to request religious accommodation. School district officials subsequently allowed the Muslim student to attend classes pending a review of the dress code policy...
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