E-MAIL THIS LINK
To: 

American Talibunny wins prison prayer lawsuit
John Walker Lindh, an American who was convicted of helping the Taliban, should be allowed to participate in group prayer with other Muslim inmates at a high-security prison in Terre Haute, a federal judge ruled Friday.

The “American Taliban” fighter sued the Federal Bureau of Prisons, demanding that he and other Muslims in the Federal Correctional Institution should be allowed to conduct group prayers, and that not doing so is a violation of Religious Freedom of Restoration Act of 1993. Prison officials said allowing inmates such congregation poses security risks.

Ruling in Lindh’s favor, U.S. District Judge Jane Magnus Stinson stated in her decision that “the denial of daily group prayer opportunities substantially burdens Mr. Lindh’s religious beliefs.”

Lindh, who claims to follow the Hanbali school of Islam, said Islam requires him to pray with fellow Muslims five times a day daily. In his testimony during a three-day trial in August, he said the restrictions on group prayers were forcing him to sin.
"And what fun is sin if it's not voluntary?"
Currently, all 43 inmates in the Communications Management Unit within the Terre Haute facility, including 24 Muslims, are allowed to pray together for an hour each week and daily during Ramadan. All inmates also can pray at any time in their individual cells. But Lindh said it wasn't enough, and called security concerns about group prayers baseless.

Prison officials said Lindh’s demands are not only dangerous, but also not fair to other inmates. They’re also concerned that allowing group prayers could result in the inmates having a leader. But Stinson said that group prayers have not resulted in serious incidents or security threats in at least the past three years. Nor have such activities led to leadership issues among inmates, she said.

If Stinson’s decision stands, it could reach beyond the federal prison in Terra Haute. Though the ruling does not bind other federal prisons in other districts, it could encourage other inmates to challenge prison rules if they think their religious freedom is being restricted, said Indianapolis civil rights lawyer Karen Celestino-Horseman.

She said, “Certainly, when one judge decides that, it does make it more interesting. The biggest impact is that there are going to be other Muslims who follow this particular belief and will certainly look at this case. Ultimately, it would not surprise me at all to see this decision one day end up in the U.S. Supreme Court.”
Posted by: ryuge 2013-01-12
http://www.rantburg.com/poparticle.php?ID=359902