Veil-wearing Muslim gets new court hearing

updated 11:59 a.m. ET Jan. 24, 2007

HAMTRAMCK, Mich. - A Muslim woman whose small-claims case was tossed out after she refused to remove her veil in court has been granted a new hearing.

Ginnnah Muhammad, 42, of Detroit, plans to wear a niqab — a scarf and veil that covers her head and face, leaving only the eyes visible — at her Feb. 21 hearing.

Muhammad wants to contest a rental car company’s $2,750 charge to repair a vehicle that she said had been broken into by thieves.

“I’m hoping that the judge ... listens to my case and judges the case on its merits, not on how I look,” Muhammad said.

In October, District Judge Paul Paruk told her he needed to see her face to determine her truthfulness and gave her a choice: take off the veil while testifying or have the case dismissed. She kept it on.

Muhammad successfully appealed, arguing Paruk’s ruling unfairly forced her to choose between her religious beliefs and her case.

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