A Canadian man lost his driver's license in an attempt to test the bounds of religious freedom in his diverse British Columbian town.
Surrey resident Obi Canuel is unable to drive because he refused to remove a plastic colander from his head last November for his driver's license photo, the National Post reports.
Canuel identifies as Pastafarian. Pastafarians are part of the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster, a satirical religion that first emerged as a lighthearted way of opposing the teaching of creationism in Kansas public schools in 2005. Since then, adherents have popped up in multiple countries. Several U.S. states have allowed Pastafarians to be photographed for their driver's license with colanders on their heads. Soldiers in the U.S. Army can even list the Flying Spaghetti Monster on their dog tags.
The photo was acceptable for his provincial I.D., but it was rejected after review by the Insurance Corporation of British Columbia. The ICBC said Canuel could not provide proof that his faith prohibits the removal of the unusual head gear.
Canuel had been driving on temporary paper licenses, but he was told last week that he would not be issued a new license until he took a photo without the spaghetti strainer. He hopes with enough media attention he can change the minds of local officials.
Surrey resident Obi Canuel is unable to drive because he refused to remove a plastic colander from his head last November for his driver's license photo, the National Post reports.
Canuel identifies as Pastafarian. Pastafarians are part of the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster, a satirical religion that first emerged as a lighthearted way of opposing the teaching of creationism in Kansas public schools in 2005. Since then, adherents have popped up in multiple countries. Several U.S. states have allowed Pastafarians to be photographed for their driver's license with colanders on their heads. Soldiers in the U.S. Army can even list the Flying Spaghetti Monster on their dog tags.
The photo was acceptable for his provincial I.D., but it was rejected after review by the Insurance Corporation of British Columbia. The ICBC said Canuel could not provide proof that his faith prohibits the removal of the unusual head gear.
Canuel had been driving on temporary paper licenses, but he was told last week that he would not be issued a new license until he took a photo without the spaghetti strainer. He hopes with enough media attention he can change the minds of local officials.
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