A RELIGIOUS discrimination lawsuit has been brought this week by a burqua-clad Detroit Muslim against a district court judge.

Ginnah Muhammad claims that she was discriminated against by Judge Paul Paruk, who would not allow her to testify in a 2006 small claims case unless she removed her veil
She then indicated that she was willing to lose the case rather then compromise her religious principles.

But, according to the Detroit Free Press, when she showed up on Tuesday at the federal courthouse in Detroit to testify against the Hamtramck judge, the 44-year-old Detroit Muslim not only removed her veil, but also her black burqua. She also produced a Michigan driver’s license bearing a photo of her unveiled face.

A contradiction? Not so, Muhammad and her lawyer, Nabih Ayad, said after a 30-minute hearing before US District Judge John Feikens.

Muhammad said she would have removed her veil in Hamtramck had Judge Paruk allowed her to testify before a female judge. But Paruk is the only district judge in Hamtramck. He also declined her request for a change of venue.

Paruk demanded she remove her veil so he could assess her credibility. But Ayad said judges in other countries assess the credibility of Muslim women by watching how they use their hands.

During Tuesday’s hearing, Feikens hinted that he might take no action. If that happens, Ayad said he would appeal to the US 6th Circuit Court of Appeals. He said he was willing to take the case to the US Supreme Court.

Muhammad, who runs a skin-care business in Oak Park, sued a car rental company for $3,000 in 2006 after it tried to charge her to repair damage caused by thieves.

Ayad told Feikens that Muhammad, who runs a skin-care business in Oak Park, is a devout Muslim who has been wearing a veil since she was 10, and argued that Paruk violated her right to practice her religion and denied her access to the court. The lawyer added:

She feels she is fighting for all similarly situated Muslims.