Austrian Man Wins Right To Wear Pasta Strainer In License Photo


In Austria one of the strangest fights for religious freedom has come to an end: Niko Alm, a self-described "Pastafarian," fought for three years for the right to wear a pasta strainer on his head in his driver's license photo.

His argument? Alm claimed he belonged to the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster and wearing the strainer was part of his religion.

The BBC reports:

Mr Alm's pastafarian-style application for a driving licence was a response to the Austrian recognition of confessional headgear in official photographs.

The licence took three years to come through and, according to Mr. Alm, he was asked to submit to a medical interview to check on his mental fitness to drive but - straining credulity - his efforts have finally paid off.

It is the police who issue driving licences in Austria, and they have duly issued a laminated card showing Mr. Alm in his unorthodox item of religious headgear.

Niko Alm's original pictures.
Niko Alm

Niko Alm's original pictures.

The AFP reports that Alm now wants to apply for "Pastafarianism to become an officially recognised faith in Austria."

If you want more, Alm detailed his fight on his blog. (We've linked to Google English translation of it.)

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Kinda funny.

 

good for him

 

BTW I'm going to start the Santahatafarian movement...

 

lol, good for him

 

If you eat pasta, will they behead you for insulting the Flying Spaghetti Monster? Or is eating pasta sort of like Communion is for Christians?

 

fucking idiot.

 

^^ Fuck your religion? :shrug:

Idiot or not, Christians are following a re-badged version of Horace the Egyptian Sun God. Jews believe that a burning bush spoke to Moses which is a re-badged character from the same time. Religion is man made and kinda twisted. If this guy got the rules to bend for what he believes in, then he wins, period.



Edit: I'm only being Devil's advocate. :wiggle:

 

That's actually quite an educated response.

 

yeah I know. and Christianity has merged pagan holidays and re-badged them as christian holidays to get converts.

still, the guy is a fucking idiot. What next? This guy will be saying its his religious practice that he rapes woman at 5 o'clock every Tuesday. and he will get away with it....

Sometimes I wonder if these people are crazy or just doing this to push the limits of what they can get away with. Their parents never told them NO as a child.