County to Accommodate
Swimmers’ Religious Attire
Washtenaw County to become 1st
Michigan county to implement such a policy
Wednesday, January 11, 2006
BY ART AISNER
News Staff Reporter
On one of the
last days of school last June, Ann
Arbor resident Jumanah Saadeh, then
13, changed into long gym pants, a
head covering and a long-sleeved
collared shirt and joined her
classmates from Ann Arbor Open
School at the Rolling Hills Water
Park in Ypsilanti.
The outfit was in accordance with
Islam's modesty requirements, but
violated health and safety
regulations at the pool and
lifeguards ordered her out of the
water.
"This was a terribly humiliating
incident for her and she felt like
she was forced to choose between her
religious beliefs and her
classmates,” said Michael Steinberg,
legal director with the American
Civil Liberties Union of Michigan.
After six months of planning, the
county's Park and Recreation
Commission is expected tonight to
unanimously pass the first swimwear
policy to accommodate individuals
who cannot wear traditional
swimsuits for religious reasons.
Washtenaw County is slated to become
the first county in Michigan and
possibly the nation to implement
such a policy. . .
Executive director of the Council of
American-Islamic Relations (CAIR)
Dawud Walid said his organization
has received only a few similar
complaints over the years but noted
that may be because many Muslims
avoid public pools strictly because
of the clothing issue.
In Islam, females approaching
puberty must have their head
covered, and body covered from their
neck to their ankles at all times in
public, said Walid. The clothing
should not be form fitting.
Males may be shirtless but must be
covered from above the belly button
to the knee cap in non-form fitting
attire, he said.
Similar requirements are customary
for Orthodox Jews and the Amish,
county officials said.
The proposed policy, which will
apply to all county aquatic
facilities, is intended to provide
guidelines that protect public
health and safety while
accommodating the diverse community.
Street clothes and shoes remain
prohibited in the water, but unlike
the state regulations, the proposal
defines street clothes.
The parks will accommodate those who
cannot wear traditional bathing
suits for religious reasons by
permitting appropriate clothing with
the following conditions:
Clothing must allow free movement of
arms and legs and be free from
hardware such as belts, buckles and
rivets.
The clothing material must be
lightweight as to not inhibit a
patron's movement or weigh them down
in the pool. Fabric such as nylon,
polyester, Lycra or thin cotton are
acceptable.
Clothing also must not be so loose
that it could cause entanglement,
entrapment or strangulation in pool
equipment. |
|
|
|
Art Aisner can be reached at aaisner@annarbornews.com or
734-994-6823.
