New York Police Department will no longer force Muslim women to remove hijabs for mug shots

Women wearing hijab will no longer have to remove it for mug shots when arrested in New York. The decision comes after a group of Muslim women sued New York City and said that they were forced to «remove their hijabs after arrests and be photographed with their head and hair uncovered», USA Today reported.

The complaint filed in federal court in New York featured the testimony of a Muslim woman who said that removing her Hijab to be photographed made her feel «humiliated, distraught and panicked from this coerced violation of her religious practice».

After filing the lawsuit, a settlement was reached this month, allowing those arrested by the New York Police Department to keep their headwear while in custody. The settlement also required that NYPD officers be trained about the new policy.

The new decision does not exclusively touch on Hijab only but also other religious traditions, including yarmulkes, wigs, habits, turbans and kufis, among others.