 | | Martha McSally, the highest ranking female fighter pilot in the U.S. Air Force. [AP Photo] |
The first woman to ever fly a U.S. combat mission sued Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld to challenge a policy that mandates Islamic dress and customs for U.S. military women based in Saudi Arabia when they travel off-base. According to the lawsuit filed by Lt. Col. Martha McSally on December 3, women can be court-martialed if they leave Prince Sultan Air Base without a male chaperone, are not covered from head-to-toe with a dark ``abayah'' robe, or sit in the front seat of a vehicle. In the lawsuit McSally said the Pentagon regulations, which are imposed only in Saudi Arabia, violate her First Amendment constitutional right to practice her Christian faith freely and to not have a religion imposed on her. Judge James Robertson, of the U.S. District Court in Washington where the suit was filed, has been asked to enjoin enforcement of the regulations, to block any disciplinary action against McSally, and to award her legal fees and costs. Last year McSally was transferred to Saudi Arabia, where the policy her lawsuit described as ``irrational'' and would affect her directly. A spokesman for the U.S. Central Command said the regulations were adopted by the U.S. base commander at the time who, like his counterparts at all military sites, made policy in accordance with local ``cultural sensitivities.'' Military officials have asserted that the policy, rather than discriminating against military women, is intended to protect them from harassment by Saudi religious police. McSally is scheduled to return to the United States on Dec. 15 and is unable to comment publicly while on duty, according to a Delaware-based attorney for the Rutherford Institute, the religious and civil rights organization that is paying McSally's legal costs. (Agencies) | 美國第一位執行戰斗機轟炸任務的女飛行員近日將美國國防部長拉姆斯菲爾德告上了法庭，理由是美國國防部對駐扎在沙特空軍基地的美國女兵的軍紀要求不合理。這一紀律要求美國女兵在離開基地時要穿當地的伊斯蘭服裝，遵守伊斯蘭風俗。 這名名叫馬莎·麥克薩莉的空軍中校12月3日向法院提交了訴狀，控告美國駐沙特空軍基地的荒謬軍規：女兵外出時如果沒有男性陪伴，沒有從頭到腳裹上深色阿拉伯長袍或者乘車時坐在了前排座位上都要受到軍令處置。 麥克薩莉在訴狀中說，美國國防部將這種軍規強加給駐沙特的美國空軍部隊，這種做法違反了美國憲法第一修正案中關于宗教信仰自由的規定，等于是妨礙了她信仰基督教的自由，而將另一種宗教強加給她。 受理該案的美國華盛頓地區法院的法官詹姆士·羅伯森已受命要嚴格遵守憲法，保證麥克薩莉不因這件事受到軍紀懲罰，并向她提供打官司所需的費用。 麥克薩莉是去年調往沙特阿拉伯的。她在訴狀中將美國沙特空軍基地的這種軍規稱為"不理智"的軍規，直接影響了她的生活。 美國中央總部（由原快速部署聯合特遣部隊司令部重新命名組建，司令部設在佛羅里達州麥克迪爾）的一位發言人說，和其他美軍駐軍基地的司令員一樣，美國駐沙特空軍基地司令員之所以執行這樣的軍事規定，是出于尊重駐扎地"文化敏感性"的考慮。 駐軍軍官們相信，執行這種軍規的目的并非是對女兵的歧視，而是為了保護她們不受當地伊斯蘭教警察的騷擾。 據一位來自特拉華州Rutherford研究院的律師說，麥克薩莉計劃于12月15日返回美國，但是她現在還在服役，因此還不能在公共場合對此案發表任何意見。該研究院是一個研究宗教和公民權利的機構，麥克薩莉打官司的費用就是由該研究院提供的。 （中國日報網站譯） |
Updated: 2001-12-07 01:00
