Layla Soliz, along with her husband Zanne Soliz, is pictured in the photograph alongside Zaynab Ansour Mansari and Rafiq Mahdi from the Muslim Community of Knoxville organization. The image captures a moment of unity and collaboration between these individuals.
Soliz had to take off her hijab when she was arrested for criminal trespassing, along with 10 others, during a pro-Palestinian protest at the University of Tennessee campus on May 15.
In a telephone interview with the Tennessee Lookout, Soliz expressed her determination to speak out against the mistreatment by the Knox County Sheriff’s Office.
She firmly believes that unless individuals are willing to take a stand, these injustices will persist. Soliz felt compelled to take action both to address her personal frustration over the violation of her religious rights and to prevent others from experiencing similar treatment.
A concerning trend is emerging in the U.S. involving Muslim women being compelled to remove their religious head coverings while in police custody. This issue is linked to the ongoing debate surrounding religious liberty.
Soliz has enlisted the services of civil rights attorney Daniel Horwitz to represent her in a legal battle.
Through this lawsuit, she aims to claim $250,000 in compensation for the emotional anguish she endured as a result of having her hijab forcibly removed and her uncovered mugshot being made public.
Additionally, she is demanding that the sheriff’s office remove the photo from all databases and make lasting changes to their booking procedures to prevent similar violations from occurring in the future.
Sheriff’s deputies violated policy
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The Knox County Sheriff’s Office disregarded its own policies when deputies compelled Soliz to remove her hijab during the booking process. As per the guidelines of the sheriff’s office, detainees should be permitted to keep their religious head coverings unless there is a evident security risk.
The policy of the department, titled “Religious Head Coverings,” emphasizes the importance of respecting the dignity and religious rights of arrestees who wear religious head coverings.
It guides jailers to capture photographs of individuals wearing and not wearing the head covering, but to only release the photograph with the head covering for inmate identification purposes.
This ensures that their religious beliefs are honored while maintaining proper identification procedures.
Pro-Palestinian campus protests sparked arrest
Soliz, a graduate of the University of Tennessee in 2012 and a member of the staff at Tayseer Seminary, spent several days on campus before her arrest. During this time, she worked closely with students and organizers, immersing herself in the activities and initiatives taking place.
University officials permitted a designated area on campus for pro-Palestinian demonstrators to assemble between 7 a.m. and 10 p.m., in line with the established time frame for gatherings on state property prior to Tennessee’s overnight camping prohibition.
Despite receiving multiple warnings from university officials to vacate the premises, Soliz and other protesters were apprehended over an hour before the 10 p.m. cutoff, as stated by university authorities.
She experienced a distressing journey to the Knox County Detention Facility, as she was transported in a dimly lit van with her hands secured by zip ties. Upon arrival, she was subjected to being photographed, both with and without her hijab. These images were then uploaded into the jail system database.
According to the lawsuit, the intake officer gave her reassurances that the photo without her headscarf would be kept confidential. However, a sergeant later went against this assurance and posted the picture on the Knox County Sheriff’s Office website.
“They assured me that the photos would only be used internally and that no male officers would have access to them,” she recalled.
Women in Islamic tradition wear the hijab as a symbol of modesty and religious devotion when they are in public. It is believed that removing the hijab in front of men who are not their family members goes against their religious beliefs.
The lawsuit asserts that the Knox County Sheriff’s Office violated various legal safeguards intended to protect religious freedom.
Not only does it invoke the First Amendment, which guarantees individuals the right to practice their religion without government interference, but it also references the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act (RLUIPA).
This federal legislation prohibits government institutions, including correctional facilities, from imposing excessive obstacles on the religious practices of incarcerated individuals.
Religious headwear violations persist across the U.S
Muslim women in the United States have been filing lawsuits in recent years after being compelled to remove their religious head coverings while in police custody. Soliz’s case is just one example of this ongoing issue.
Police departments in major cities, such as New York and Long Beach, California, have also been the subject of lawsuits regarding the treatment of Muslim women during arrests.
In numerous instances, the courts have ruled in favor of the plaintiffs, noting that the mandatory removal of religious head coverings infringes upon constitutional rights and civil rights legislation.
As a result, several departments have revised their policies to permit the wearing of religious head coverings in booking photos, as long as the individual’s face is visible for identification purposes.
Soliz is hopeful that the lawsuits filed by other Islamic women will establish a precedent.
“We must confront any violation of our rights, no matter how insignificant or significant, and seize every opportunity to challenge these attacks. It is essential to recognize the strong link between these incidents and the ongoing situation in Palestine.
When we were arrested, our purpose was to demand an end to genocide. It is crucial to understand that these oppressive systems are intricately intertwined.”