Man allowed to wear colander for ID photo

VIENNA, July 14 (UPI) -- An Austrian "Pastafarian" won the right to wear a pasta strainer on his head in his driving license photo after a three-year struggle.

Niko Alm, an atheist blogger who asked to have his driver's license photo taken with a colander on his head, was finally found fit to drive by a psychologist, The Daily Telegraph reported Wednesday, and was allowed to take his official picture with the strainer on his head.

"Today I was able to get my new driving license, and in it you can clearly see that I'm wearing a colander on my head to demonstrate my allegiance to the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster," Alm wrote in his blog, adding "My headwear has now been recognized by the Republic of Austria."

The Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster was created in 2005 by an anti-religion group opposed to the teaching of intelligent design in biology classes in the United States.