"This is really about personal identity and religious freedom," Pharoan said. "A woman who wears the hijab is obeying the call of God."
The Prince George's sheriff's office sought the opinion after deputies heard of cases concerning Muslim women in other courthouses and wanted guidance, said Sgt. Mario Ellis, a spokesman. "Nothing happened locally," he said. "We were just trying to be proactive and get an answer before this issue comes up here."
Many disputes arise out of cultural ignorance, said John Voll, a professor of Islamic history at Georgetown University. He said that for Muslim woman, the hijab or niqab is a matter of chastity and propriety. He compared forcing the removal of that garb at a security checkpoint, rather than in a private setting, to subjecting any woman to a public strip search.
