France Says Sikhs Must Remove Turbans
France’s highest administrative body ruled Monday that Sikhs must remove their turbans for driver’s license photos, calling it a question of public security and not a restriction on freedom of religion. The Council of State’s ruling reversed its own decision in December in favor of Shingara Mann Singh, a French citizen who refused to take off his turban for a license photo in 2004. The case gained attention amid tensions between France’s religious minorities and the government over a law banning conspicuous religious signs in public schools, aimed at Islamic headscarves. Full Story