DOJ investigates ASU, MCSO for removing pro-Palestinian protesters’ hijabs

TEMPE, AZ (AZ Family) — The one US Department of Justice investigate now Arizona State University (ASU) Police Department and Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) over the arrest of four women who say officers forcibly removed their hijabs.

their lawyer, Zayed Al-Sayyedsaid the incident happened in April after a pro-Palestinian protest on the Tempe campus.

“We’re glad there are checks and balances. We are glad that there is federal oversight of local law enforcement to ensure that local police and state police are still respecting people’s constitutional rights,” Al-Sayyed said.

In April, the Arizona family received cell phone video from the Arizona chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-AZ) showing a woman surrounded by at least four officers.

Al-Sayyed said the officers forcibly removed her hijab and did the same to three other women he represents.

This month, Al-Sayyed received a letter from the DOJ informing him of the investigation into ASU and MCSO for possible religious discrimination.

“Even if someone is arrested, they still have constitutional protections, and one of those is still — they have the right to practice their religion and have their serious beliefs,” Al-Sayyed said.

He said his clients, three who are ASU students, did not get their religious clothing back for more than 12 hours after they were locked up.

Al-Sayyed explained that for Muslim women, removing the hijab is like officers stripping down to their underwear and strip-searching them in public.

“Law enforcement should have taken the time to search them in a reasonable manner,” he said.

Both ASU and MCSO said they are cooperating with the DOJ and believe the officers did nothing wrong.

CAIR-AZ also sent a written response to the DOJ investigation.

“It’s a very diverse community. It’s interesting to me that law enforcement still doesn’t know how to handle arrests involving religious clothing,” Al-Sayyed said.

Al-Sayyed said the DOJ investigation could take several years, as it did with the investigation into the Phoenix Police Department.

He said criminal charges against his clients are still pending. Their hearing is scheduled for next week.

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