John Walker Lindh wins right to pray with fellow Muslims in federal prison

[No Elephants]

Jan 11, 6:29 PM EST

US-born Taliban fighter wins prison prayer lawsuit

By CHARLES WILSON
Associated Press

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) -- An American convicted of fighting alongside the Taliban must be allowed to pray daily in a group with other Muslim inmates at his high-security prison in Indiana, a federal judge ruled Friday.

Barring John Walker Lindh and his fellow Muslims from engaging in daily group ritual prayer violates a 1993 law that bans the government from curtailing religious speech without showing a compelling interest, U.S. District Judge Jane Magnus-Stinson ruled.

The judge blocked the prison from enforcing its ban on daily group prayer, but she noted that her ruling does not prohibit the prison from taking less restrictive security measures.

U.S. Attorney Joe Hogsett, whose office represented the prison, said Friday that prosecutors were considering their next step, including a possible appeal.

"This case deals with critically important issues that have significance both inside and outside the walls of our federal prison facilities," Hogsett said. "Our concern continues to be the safety and security of both our federal prison system and the United States of America."

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_AMERICAN_TALIBAN_PRISON_PRAYER?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2013-01-11-18-29-15

Another thing that, if it had happened during the Bush administration, DUers and other Democrats, including the "Democratic strategists" who appear on TV, would have foamed at the mouth over.

In what universe can you rationalize allowing captive Muslims who are not American citizens to pray, but refuse to allow an American citizen who is also a Muslim to join them? A ninth grader could tell you that violates at least two clauses of the Constitution of the United States, but I guess it escaped the D of J and the Constitutional Law Lecturer and Commander in Chief.

It probably violates international treaties as well, but I guess we've decided our signatures on those don't matter anymore 'cause we're so you how, "excedptional" in that way. We sign treaties like that only so other countries will obey them when they capture our troops.

God, I miss the rule of law so much.

BTW, when did we start putting suspect terrorists in Indiana?

Finally, the ACLU of very red state of Indiana took this to court. The ACLU and Amnestry International are the only two organizations of that kind to which I contribute anymore. Used to give to PBS, but I dropped that after WGBH dropped Bill Moyers.

Anyhoo, they are both doing very good work, IMO. If you can spare a few bucks send it, but tell them not to solicit you. If you don't they will do so til the end of time, so save them the cost of that and spare yourself the annoyance of it, unless you want to get on some monthly program via credit card. No one needs more clogging of mailboxes and email inboxes.

[Enthusiast]

1. That is terrible.

How did an American citizen lose the right to pray? I guess the Dubya Administration considered them traitors so they felt justified in depriving them of their fundamental rights. But somehow I doubt Timothy McVeigh lost his right to pray.

I agree about the ACLU and Amnesty International. I have donated to the ACLU, just a little. But still.

[No Elephants]

2. Great on the donation,

ACLU does good work. the manager of the building in which I live said they were ultra radical because, in his opinion, the founders set up this nation as God fearing. I told him that they had fought for a variety of freedom of religion issues, as well as for freedom from religion issues. He was having none of it, though, so I didn't push it.


A couple of days later, I read how they were fighting for the right of a religious group in New Orleans to witness on the street in everning to night hours. Apparently, the city bans that. It may have been the Latin Quarter specifically, but I don't recall right now.

But, hey, when someone knows everything, who am I to provide factual information?

[Enthusiast]

3. The ACLU is another of the right's

traditional whipping boys. Besides, the right wants their dummies to think the nation is a Christian nation only.

[No Elephants]

4. He avoided that issue by saying "God-fearing."

Before 911, the religious right was thinking of a Jewish-Christian-Muslim coalition that might at least agree on things like prayer in non-sspecific prayers in public schools.