Over the weekend, a video surfaced showing a campus police officer at Arizona State University removing a hijab from a protester's head during her arrest. The incident, captured by Mass Liberation AZ and shared by attorney Zayed Al-Sayyed, has sparked outrage and demands for accountability.
The video depicts several ASU Police Department officers surrounding a woman with her hands restrained behind her back as one officer removes her hijab. Onlookers can be heard protesting, accusing the officers of violating the woman's privacy and religious rights.
According to Al-Sayyed, who represents the women involved, the arrests occurred early Saturday, with three of the four women being ASU students and all four being Phoenix-area residents. The women are now facing criminal trespass charges.
Al-Sayyed explained that upon being taken into custody, the women pleaded to keep their hijabs, emphasizing the religious significance of the headscarves. However, they were allegedly told that the hijabs had to be removed for safety reasons.
After being transported to jail, the women were not returned their hijabs. It wasn't until approximately 15 hours later, when Al-Sayyed gained access to his clients, that he was able to provide them with new hijabs.
The Arizona chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-AZ) condemned the actions of the university police, calling the incident a violation of the women's religious liberties. CAIR-AZ urged ASU Police to conduct a thorough investigation into the matter.
In response to the incident, the university stated that the issue is currently under review. The video has sparked a debate on the treatment of protesters and the protection of religious freedoms on campus.
