Muslim woman charges discrimination in strip search at Chicago's O'Hare airport

CHICAGO - A Muslim woman and the American Civil Liberties Union are suing the Illinois National Guard and airport security officers following a strip search that they said amounted to discrimination. <br> <br> It is the ACLU&#39;s first lawsuit in what it claims have been about 100 cases of airport discrimination against Muslims since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. <br> <br> Samar Kaukab of Columbus, Ohio, alleges she was strip-searched at O&#39;Hare International Airport before a Nov. 7 flight simply because she was wearing a Muslim head scarf. <br> <br> Kaukab, a 22-year-old U.S. citizen who was born in this country to Pakistani parents, claims the black scarf -- which covers her hair, shoulders and chest, but not her face -- led a guardsman to instruct Argenbright Security guards to take her aside for a thorough search even though she tripped no metal detectors. <br> <br> The lawsuit seeks a federal injunction forcing airport security firms to provide training so guards will not base searches solely on a person&#39;s religion or ethnicity. <br> <br> The lawsuit seeks unspecified damages from the National Guard and Argenbright. <br> <br> Lt. Col. Larry Andrews, spokesman for the Illinois National Guard, said officials had not reviewed the lawsuit and would not comment. Argenbright spokeswoman Christine DiBartolo said the company is looking into the matter, but she added workers are trying to &#34;protect the flying public.&#34; <br>

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