Mexico Muslim Women's Legal Fight to Keep Hijab in Passport Photos
A group of Muslim women in Mexico have launched a legal fight against the government's decision to ban the wearing of the hijab in passport photos, stating that the decision violates their religious freedom, equality and right to self-determination, ilkha.com reported.
The issue began about two years ago when Ana Maria Garcia, 57, applied for a passport to visit her family abroad, but her application was rejected because she kept the hijab in her official photo.
Her case has since been referred to the Supreme Court of Justice (SCJN), which is currently under review.
In a similar case, Oma Maria Bel Lozano lost an international job opportunity after her passport photo was rejected because she was wearing the hijab.
This rejection of the request prompted hundreds of Muslim women to launch the “Marea Hijabi” movement to demand the right to wear the hijab in their passport photos.
The women participating in the movement noted that the National Electoral Institute (INE) allows women to wear the headscarf for their ID card photos, and that banning hijab in passport photos represents a double standard in government institutions.
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The women, supported by the Islamic Council of Mexico, filed their complaint in the administrative court. Judge Agustin Tello Espindola of the 11th District Administrative Court ruled that requiring women to remove their headscarves for passport photos was unconstitutional, explaining that identification only requires clear facial features and that headscarves and wearing the hijab do not hinder the process of verifying identity.
However, the Mexican Ministry of Foreign Affairs appealed the ruling and referred the case to the Supreme Court.
The dispute is expected to set an important legal precedent regarding religious freedom and official identification practices in Mexico.
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