A Sikh man residing in the United States was reportedly taunted as a 'terrorist' by transport officials, who arrested him after they found his 'kirpan' and then expelled by a judge during his court date for failing to remove 'that rag' from his head.
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has reportedly written a letter to the government protesting against the shocking treatment of Jagjeet Singh at the hands of Mississippi Department of Transportation and Pike County Justice Court judge Aubrey Rimes.
Singh, who was pulled over in January by the state's transportation officials over a flat tire, was taunted by the officials as a 'terrorist' and arrested for refusing to obey 'an officer's lawful command' after they wrongly assumed that his kirpan was illegal.
According to the Huffington Post, Rimes ejected Singh from the courtroom during his court date stating that Singh would not be allowed to re-enter unless he removed 'that rag' from his head.
Confirming that Rimes expelled Singh from the court, his attorney said that Singh's faith mandates the covering and he believes that to unwrap it in public would be both sacrilegious and shameful.
Following an investigation into the case, the county's non-discrimination policy was revised to say that religious discrimination includes, 'requiring an individual to remove a head covering'.
The new policy also said that denying an individual access to a county office, building, program or activity because they are wearing a head covering for religious reasons can also be seen as religious discrimination.