United States: Minnesota federal judge issues major ruling protecting hijab in official prison photos

A federal judge in Minnesota has issued a major ruling in favor of the religious rights of incarcerated Muslim women. The court found that the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) violated the Religious Freedom Act (RFRA) by forcing an inmate, Muna Jama, to pose without a hijab for her mugshots. The order now requires the destruction of all photos taken without her veil. CAIR and Golden Law hail an important victory, saying the ruling strengthens protections for religious freedom and could lead to policy changes in correctional facilities nationwide.

The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) is the largest Muslim civil rights organization in the United States, while Golden Law is a law firm specializing in legal defense, including constitutional rights and religious freedoms. The case, brought since 2023, highlighted a contested practice: the obligation for certain detainees to remove their hijab for official photos, even though other institutions authorize photos respecting religious beliefs. According to the court, this requirement constituted a substantial infringement of religious freedom, without sufficient security justification.

For Muna Jama, this decision marks a personal and symbolic turning point. She expressed relief after years of seeing her veilless image used in the correctional facility. Civil rights advocates now hope that this ruling will serve as a precedent to better protect the religious practices of people incarcerated in the United States.