Going to prison used to mean being inconvenienced and losing some rights, but this won’t be true for much longer in California, if the Hamas-linked Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) gets its way.
“California mulls statewide standards for religious garb in jails,” by Brian Osgood, Al Jazeera, February 21, 2023:
Los Angeles, California, the US – Sajad Shakoor faced a painful choice while incarcerated at California’s Pleasant Valley State Prison in 2002: remove his chitrali cap — a core part of his identity as a Muslim of Pakistani heritage — or end up in a solitary confinement cell known informally as “the hole”.
In order to comply with prison regulations, Shakoor had already made the difficult decision to shave his beard. Other Muslims, many of whom consider growing long beards to be a religious obligation, had refused to do so and been sent to solitary.
For Shakoor, being forced to remove the religious headwear was one step too far.
“It was dehumanising and demeaning shaving my beard,” he told Al Jazeera. “Now they were telling me I couldn’t wear my cap? That’s where I drew the line.”
More than 20 years after the traumatic incident, Shakoor — who spent seven days in a solitary cell about the size of a parking space for refusing to remove his cap — says he hopes a recently introduced bill in the California State Senate will help others avoid similar experiences.
“Imagine going to solitary confinement over a beard or a kufi,” said Shakoor, using a term for another style of cap worn by Muslim men. “They made examples of us.”
‘Common-sense policy’
The proposed legislation, formally known as SB 309, would create uniform standards to govern religious grooming and headwear throughout California’s detention facilities, including those run by private contractors.The bill would also create guidelines for conducting security searches of individuals wearing religious garments, allowing the search to be conducted in a private area, with individuals offered a garment provided by the facility.
Introduced by State Senator David Cortese this month, the bill has picked up support from faith and civil rights groups such as the California branch of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) and the Tayba Foundation, a nonprofit that works with families impacted by incarceration….
“CAIR has represented several Muslim women who had their hijabs forcibly removed,” Sabagh said. “In some cases, the lack of guidance has created confusion among guards trying to carry out procedures like a security search.”…
But in a statement shared by Cortese’s office on February 6, Antonio Cueva — the vice president of the Santa Clara County Correctional Peace Officers Association, a local group — said his organisation “believes in the Constitution of the United States and its provisions which allow for freedom of religion”.
“We stand with our CAIR friends to ensure those freedoms are guaranteed and protected,” Cueva said….
Jim says
This does seem like one of thse cases where the authorities make concessions to a particular religion but not to others, such as Christianity. But if one wants to live in America, perhaps one should live like Americans.And if one does notwaht to lose clothing rights in jail,one should not commit crimes. But that is too biased for liberal California.
Gordon Dale says
It is only the beginning it would be better to ship them back to their home countries , just look hard at the liberals immigration policies in the EU there no longer a christian majority and rape and violence has tripled compared to 20years ago,
࿗Infidel࿘ says
Just read this story from El Salvador, which was once known as the murder capital of the world, but finally has a government that is tough on crime. They’ve arrested thousands of criminals, be it drug related, MS-13 and so on, and are putting them in a huge prison. In the process, they’ve shaved their heads, stripped everyone down to boxers and have them running about barefoot, and I even understood that a number of them were neutered. While some moves would be non-starters in most Western countries, El Salvador has brought down crime by something like 75%
Depriving muslims of beards and kufis is the least they can do
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZlJ7yC67Dlg
OLD GUY says
Yes our society must change the rules for the Muslim/Islamic INVADERS. When they come to America they want to live under Islamic rule not freedom and American society.
johnlloydscharf@yahoo.com says
As a retired correctional officer in Oregon, we welcomed any handle of hair they wanted to grow on their head. I question California, where prisoners are in control far too much, they would never demand hair be cut. This is a bogus claim.
Regarding a Kufi, handkerchiefs, and other signs gang involvement should never be allowed. If it can cover a weapon, conceal drugs, or signify gang involvement, then it needs to be restricted. We required those who wore religious medals and rosaries to keep them inside their shirt. That included the Hammer of Thor. There is freedom of religion as long as you do not allow one to have preference over another.
I can say for a fact I did not see anyone with a Star of David, Payot, or Kippah in prison. It would be a target on their back as a minority. Divisions in inmates in prison by gang or “religion” are always a threat to safety and security.