Judge rules in favor of Islamic cab driver in St. Louis

ST. LOUIS -- A St. Louis judge has ruled that a Pakistani Muslim taxi driver can wear religious attire while driving his cab.

For years, Raja Naeem of St. Louis and the Metropolitan Taxicab Commission have done battle over his clothing. The commission requires drivers to wear black pants and a white, button-down shirt.

After a 2013 court ruling, the commission offered to allow Naeem to wear a kurta, the loose-fitting clothing worn on the torso, but it must be white. He was also allowed to wear the kufi, a head garment.

Naeem went back to court last year, saying the parameters violated his freedom of religious expression.

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported Judge Robert Dierker on Monday agreed with Naeem.

A spokesman for the taxicab commission declined immediate comment.

Information from: St. Louis Post-Dispatch, http://www.stltoday.com