Muslim Woman Says Chicago Police Officers Ripped Off Her Hijab, Suit Says

A Muslim woman says that Chicago police officers ripped off her hijab and niqab as she walked up the staircase to a train and accused her of being a “terrorist,” according to a federal lawsuit and her lawyer.

A Muslim woman says that Chicago Police officers ripped off her hijab and niqab as she walked up the staircase to a train and accused her of being a “terrorist,” according to a federal lawsuit and her lawyer.

Chicago resident Itemid “Angel” Al-Matar filed a federal lawsuit against six Chicago police officers and the City of Chicago, saying that the officers used excessive force, made a false arrest, violated religious expression and undertook malicious prosecution against her. 

The lawsuit was filed by both her attorney, Gregory Kulis, and the Chicago chapter of the Council of American-Islamic Relations (CAIR).

Al-Matar was charged with several crimes but was found not guilty of all of them, according to the documents. 

The complaint alleges that Al-Matar was falsely arrested to “cover up” the officers’ unlawful use of force, but did not state the crimes she was charged with.