(WASHINGTON, D.C., 9/22/2026) — The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today condemned a ruling by Finland’s Supreme Court upholding the police’s lawful authority to use physical force to forcibly remove Muslim women’s hijabs (Islamic head scarves).
The ruling resulted from a 2017 incident in which officers physically restrained two Muslim asylum seekers and forcibly removed their headscarves for registration photographs, despite the women requesting reasonable accommodations.
In a statement, Washington, D.C.-based CAIR said:
“Forcing a Muslim woman to remove her hijab against her will is a severe violation of religious freedom, human dignity, and bodily autonomy. It is deeply disappointing that Finland’s highest court has sanctioned the use of physical force against vulnerable individuals seeking safety, rather than requiring law enforcement to adopt reasonable, faith-respecting accommodations that satisfy administrative identification requirements.
“Identification procedures can easily be conducted in ways that balance safety and procedural needs without stripping individuals of their fundamental religious rights. Denying Muslim women basic modesty under the guise of statutory duty sets a dangerous precedent for religious liberties across Europe.”
CAIR has previously spoken out against discriminatory bans on the hijab across Europe, advocating for the rights of religious minorities to wear attire aligned with their faith without facing retaliation.
Earlier this month, CAIR called on the U.S. Department of State to condemn the dismissal of a Muslim special education teacher in East Flanders, Belgium, who was fired after refusing to comply with a provincial ban on religious symbols in schools.
CAIR also condemned Austria’s newly implemented ban on Islamic headscarves, or hijab, for students under 14 as a “fascist and bigoted” step backward for religious rights in Europe.
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CONTACT: CAIR National Deputy Director Edward Ahmed Mitchell, 404-285-9530, [email protected]; CAIR Government Affairs Director Robert McCaw, 202-742-6448, [email protected]; CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726, [email protected]; CAIR National Communications Manager Ismail Allison, 202-770-6280, [email protected]