That Muslims are receiving preferential treatment in the U.S. probably won’t shock astute cultural observers. But it may shock them to learn that, at least in a current case in Alabama, the ACLU is taking exception to it and is suing. Here is the story, courtesy of law professor Eugene Volokh at the Washington Post:
From the complaint in Allen v. English:
Plaintiff Yvonne Allen is a devout Christian woman who covers her hair with a headscarf as part of her religious practice. In December 2015, Ms. Allen sought to renew her driver license at the Lee County driver license office, where officials demanded that she remove her head covering to be photographed. When Ms. Allen explained her religious beliefs, the County officials responded with a remarkable claim: They admitted that there was a religious accommodation available for head coverings, but contended that it applied only to Muslims.
According to an ACLU press release, “The [county] staff also ridiculed Allen’s beliefs, with one clerk proclaiming that she was a Christian and felt no need to cover her hair.”
As for the substance of the lawsuit, the ACLU states, not surprisingly, “Lee County’s refusal to grant Allen a religious accommodation contradicts state rules and violates her rights under the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution and the Alabama Constitution[.]”
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None of this will do anything to settle the ongoing debate over whether “ACLU” stands for the American Criminal Liberties Union or the American Communist Lawyers Union (or both, depending on the day and case). But it could make one wonder if a wormhole has taken us to an alternate universe or if Seinfeld’s George Costanza, in his “opposite” mode, is now working for the Alabama ACLU.
Unfortunately, all of America has become an alternate universe relative to what it once was. When people even in the Deep South don’t recoil at the notion of privileging Muslims over Christians, well, Toto, you know we’re not in Kansas anymore. Of course and in fairness, the Lee County officials were of the Christian tradition and likely believed that Allen was operating contrary to it (although Volokh points out that there is a Christian head-covering movement, as explained here and here). Nonetheless, it’s hard to get around the fact that they so blithely tolerated pro-Muslim discrimination.
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