Dear Dr. ******:
I am Edward Ahmed Mitchell, attorney and executive director of the Georgia chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-GA). As you may know, CAIR is our nation’s largest and oldest American Muslim civil rights organization. We engage in interfaith dialogue, promote mutual understanding, combat extremism, and defend religious minorities from discrimination.
We write in regard to Ms. *******, who has accepted an offer to attend ******. As you may know, Ms. **** graduated from college with a nearly 4.0 GPA. Ms. *** is also a practicing Muslim. Much like Orthodox Jewish women and Catholic nuns, Ms. **** wears loose-fitting clothing and a hair scarf whenever she appears in view of men outside her family.
Since receiving her acceptance letter, Ms. ***** has communicated with the school about how she can best satisfy the requirements of her courses without violating her sincerely held religious beliefs. The school recently instructed Ms. **** to file a written request for an accommodation, the critical parts of which were then denied.
As Ms. **** explained in her request, her religious beliefs prevent her from exposing her body, and she would therefore not be able to wear only shorts and a tank top during classes with that dress code requirement. The college responded by denying her request, concluding that she must undress for the purpose of learning.
Although CAIR-GA understands that medical students must fully engage in the educational process, we hope there is a way for female students to do so without stripping down to a sports bra and gym shorts in view of their male classmates.
After all, employers and educators in various fields, from medicine to sports to law enforcement, manage to successfully accommodate various religious garments. Indeed, American Muslim women who wear hijabs serve as paramedics, nurses, doctors, police officers, and, as of 2016, even Olympic athletes.
Furthermore, requiring women (or men, for that matter) to wear so little clothing around the opposite sex would effectively bar any strictly observant Jew or Muslim, among others, from attending your school. This outcome would be both unfortunate and unnecessary, for an alternative solution must exist.
For example, Ms. ***** is willing to unclothe exactly as requested in front of other women. We would therefore suggest that Ms. ***** undress and serve as a mock patient for her female classmates behind a small portable screen, curtain, or divider, much like the partitions that hospitals regularly use for patient privacy.
This accommodation would protect Ms. ****’s religious dignity while also allowing her to fulfill the requirements of her courses. Ms. ***** is willing to consider this option and other solutions, so long as she does not have to unclothe to such lengths in view of other men.
Whatever the solution, our hope is that an aspiring doctor like Ms. **** never has to choose between her faith and her education. She should be able to fulfill the obligations of both, like so many orthodox Jewish and Muslim medical professionals before her.
On behalf of both CAIR-GA and Ms. ****’s family, I thank you for giving this matter thought and consideration.
