'Pastafarian' allowed to wear spaghetti strainer on her head in driving licence photo because it is classed as 'religious headgear'

 

 

Shawna Hammond was permitted the unusual headgear in Oklahoma
She said the colander represents her 'religious freedom'
Pastafarianism was created in 2005 and has followers across the world
Members believe an invisible alien made of spaghetti and meatballs created the universe after 'drinking heavily'

A female driver in Oklahoma was allowed to pose for her driver's license wearing a spaghetti strainer on her head because it falls under the state's rules for religious headwear.

Shawna Hammond claims she needs to wear the colander as it is part of her faith as a Pastafarian in the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster.

Pastafarianism, which was founded by an atheist in 2005 to protest against the teaching of creationism in school and to poke fun at religion, uses the spaghetti strainer as its symbol.  

Ms Hammond explained that she was allowed to take the photo because she obeyed the state's laws that requires people remove their glasses and wear a religious headpiece that does not cover their face, create shadows, or display text or logos.

'I asked if I could wear my religious headwear and he said, yes — it just couldn't have any logos, or any type of writing. I told him it didn't, and I went out to my car and got my colander.

'It doesn't cover my face. I mean, you can still see my face. We have to take off our glasses, so I took off my glasses,' Ms Hammond told Fox6 Now.

Ms Hammond is an Atheist and believes no one should be forced into certain beliefs.

'For me the colander represents freedom, our freedom of religion, and to whatever religion that we prefer, or even lack of religion,' Ms Hammond said.

KFOR reports the Oklahoma Highway Patrol is to review Ms Hammond's driver's license photo to ensure it does not violate any rules.

If it is found to be within the guidelines the Highway Patrol says it may consider changing the rule regarding religious headwear because it is more than 10 years old.

In January Christopher Schaeffer, a council member in Pomfret, New York wore a colander on his head as he was sworn into office.

Last year a Czech man was allowed to wear his bizarre headgear on his official identity card after officials ruled that turning down his request would be a breach of the country's religious equality laws.

In 2011, three years after applying for a new driver's licence, an Austrian man finally received the laminated card - in which he is pictured with an upturned sieve on his head.

Niko Alm sent his application for a new driver's licence in 2008 along with a picture of himself with a colander on his head.

The stunt got him an invitation to the doctor's to check he was mentally fit to drive, but after three years, his efforts finally paid off.

In 2005, a physics graduate from Oregon State wrote a letter about a 'Flying Spaghetti Monster' as a form of protest against the Kansas State Board of Education's decision to allow the teaching of Intelligent Design as an alternative to evolution in public schools.

By professing belief in a supernatural entity composed of pasta and meatballs, Bobby Henderson, 24, called on 'Pastafarianism' to be given equal time in science classrooms alongside Christian theory.

Word rapidly spread and the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster (CFSM) now has thousands of followers, mainly on college campuses and in Europe.

The central tenet of CFSM is that an invisible Flying Spaghetti Monster created the universe 'after drinking heavily'.

Fuente; http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2747880/Pastafarian-allowed-wear-spaghetti-strainer-head-driving-licence-photo-classed-religious-headgear.html