City is sued for barring a lady wearing Muslim Garb.

Source: http://www.cnn.com/2004/LAW/06/09/mu....ap/index.html

LINCOLN, Nebraska (AP) -- The American Civil Liberties Union filed a lawsuit against the city of Omaha on behalf of a Muslim woman who says she was barred from accompanying her children to a city swimming pool because she was fully clothed.

The lawsuit filed in Lincoln federal court Wednesday says Lubna Hussein took her three children to the pool in June and August 2003 but was turned away at the gate after she told employees she could not wear a bathing suit.

Hussein is required by her religious beliefs to keep her body covered in public except for her face and hands.

She was told she could not be in the pool area in her street clothing, even though she saw other people in the area who were not wearing bathing suits, according to the lawsuit.

On one occasion, the lawsuit says, city workers told Hussein that her children could enter but that she would have to remain outside and observe them through a fence.

"The city cannot operate its pools in a way that discriminates," said Amy Miller, legal director for ACLU Nebraska.

Omaha City Attorney Paul Kratz said he had not seen the lawsuit and declined to immediately comment on its specifics. But he said the city has a policy of not allowing people in street clothes inside pool areas.

The lawsuit says the city violated Hussein's equal protection rights and other constitutional guarantees. It asks for a court order declaring the pool policy unconstitutional, as well as unspecified damages for humiliation, embarrassment and suffering.

Geez. That's just stupid, barring a woman from a swimming pool for wearing Muslim Garb.

[Dylan]

Religious tolerance is a lost art in America.

~Dylan

I've never been to a pool that barred street clothes.
Six Flags, YMCA, private clubs, etc., all allow you to swim in what you've got on (just no shoes on the waterslides).

And remember, "I'm-a Luigi, number one!"

^ Yup.

Well, I guess some people are just morons. Banning a woman for wearing street clothes. Gimme a break.

[Link47]

My guess is that since she said that she couldn't wear a swimsuit, they assumed she was going to swim in her whole getup. I guess they figured that it would be a hazard, cause if she goes under, she might not be able to be come back up cause she could be held down by all the stuff.

I would make a judgement, but I don't know enough about the situation.

^ The only problem was there were other people who did not have swimsuits either, but they were allowed in. Did the pool officials think it was okay for those people to swim in their getups?

If it was not okay, then the other people should not have been allowed in. If the rule was imposed on everyone, then, there would not be a problem. However, it was only applied to one woman, who was Muslim. Not very fair, is it?