Debbie Schlussel: Judge Paruk vs. The Niqab
We give kudos to Judge Paul Paruk of Hamtramck District Court in Hamtramckstan, Michigan.
The Judge insisted a Muslim woman, Ginnah Muhammad (a Black woman who converted to Islam at age 10), remove her niqab (Islamic veil the covers the entire face, except the eyes), or lose her court entanglement with a rental car company. The Judge said he needed to see Paruk's face to judge her truthfulness, a basic fact of life in court. Ms. Muhammad refused, opting to lose in court, instead.
As we've noted, an increasing number of Muslim women in the Detroit area are wearing the niqab. It's basically impossible to tell them apart, much less view facial expressions. (And try eating spaghetti while wearing a niqab.) Judge Paruk was correct in insisting that Ginnah Muhammad abide by the American court system's customs, rather than opposing her religion's customs on the court. Not that donning a niqab is a "custom" of Islam, per se. It's a symbol of extremism that many in the religion have now decided (or been forced) to don.
Contrary to the Detroit Free Press' coverage of the matter, Judge Paruk has precedent in his favor. A court in Colorado made a similar move, and criminal defendant--now convict--Sarah Al-Turki had to remove her face covering. Both she and her Saudi husband, Homaidan Al-Turki, were tried and convicted for enslaving and beating their Indonesian housekeeper, forcing her to be Mr. Al-Turki's sex slave in addition to other "duties." Off came Mrs. Al-Turki's niqab.
Judge Paruk's courage is immense with this move because he made it in the most unlikely place in America to do so and survive politically. He's probably written his career death sentence with his policy toward the niqab. He is a judge in Hamtramckstan, which is fast becoming a combination of Little Sana'a (Yemen's capital), Little Pristina (Kosovo's capital), and Little Bangladesh.
What was once a Polish Catholic-dominated town encompassed by the City of Detroit is fast becoming a tiny caliphate. Press accounts have documented the mysterious burning down of a Hindu temple, violent Islamic attacks on non-Muslim, Black males at Hamtramck Public Schools, the first legally sanctioned Muslim call to prayer in the nation, etc., etc., ad nauseam.
The men of Michigan CAIR are upset that Judge Paruk took this reasonable step. They'll likely campaign against him the next time he's up for re-election. And voter fraud? Well, you can no longer challenge the illegal voter registrations of Muslims from all over the world who aren't citizens, if they live in Hamtramck. The Justice Department put an end to that. They put election monitors in Hamtramckstan, every election, making sure that none of those offensive Americans concerned about voter fraud are doing any pollwatching in Hamtramckstan.
What you can do anywhere in America, you can no longer do in Hamtramck. And what you can't do anywhere in America, that goes in Hamtramck.
Up is down. Right is left. Hamtramck is, like Dearbornistan, ground zero of IslAmerica. And we're enabling it every step of the way.
**** UPDATE: Niqab Family Photo . . .
Posted by Debbie on October 23, 2006 12:21 PM to Debbie Schlussel