A group of Muslim inmates imprisoned in Spain have taken over an area of the prison and are sounding the call to prayer around the prison, as well as intimidating other prisoners. Did the guards break up their stronghold and get them back under control? No, they asked them please to keep the noise down. From Expatica, with thanks to Ali Dashti and Susan:
MADRID – A group of 110 Muslim fundamentalists are imposing their religious customs in a Spanish prison and their calls to prayer have led to protests from other prisoners, it was reported Thursday.
The Spanish daily El Mundo reported that in Topas prison, near the eastern city of Salamanca, guards claimed Muslim inmates had converted a lecture theatre into a mosque.
The officials said other prisoners avoided the area for fear of reprisals following the complaints by other inmates, who say they are disturbed by five daily muezzin calls to prayer, including just before midnight and six o’clock in the morning.
According to the report, prison guards have asked the group to try to keep the noise down.
Of 1,512 inmates, 806 are non-Spaniards, though their nationalities were not revealed in El Mundo’s report.
The friction between the Muslims and remaining prisoners has, the paper added, forced prison authorities to separate them into different groups.