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After working more than a year on the case by SALDELF, It was recently announced that the state of Illinois confirmed that Sikhs can now wear their turbans in their driver’s license photos. After receiving reports that Sikh Americans and members of other communities were being asked to remove their turbans, and in some cases […]

After working more than a year on the case by SALDELF, It was recently announced that the state of Illinois confirmed that Sikhs can now wear their turbans in their driver’s license photos.

After receiving reports that Sikh Americans and members of other communities were being asked to remove their turbans, and in some cases to modify their articles of faith, in order to get their driver’s license in Illinois, SALDEF began pursuing the change.

The Sikh organization engaged in discussions with the Drivers Service Department to create religious accommodations for Sikhs and members of other faiths. It resulted in a published poster and handout on these accommodations, which is being shared with every office in the state, as well as the public.

“The release of this poster and guidance confirms the right of every American to practice their faith,” said SALDEF executive director Jasjit Singh in a statement. “A driver’s license or photo identification card is a basic need in today’s society. We commend Secretary (of State, Jesse) White and the department for addressing this problem and publishing a valuable resource for all residents of Illinois.”

SALDEF teamed up with the Council on American Islamic Relations, the Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund and the South Asian American Policy and Research Institute to work on the issue.

-Indiawest.com