Muslim inmates are suing state corrections officials, arguing that they are not provided adequate nourishment as they break their daily fasts during Ramadan at an Alaska jail. The lawsuit was filed Tuesday by the Council on American-Islamic Relations Legal Defense Fund. It asks a federal judge to require the Anchorage Correctional Complex to provide the men with meals with sufficient calories. It also seeks an unspecified amount in damages.
FOX News The lawsuit argues the existing policy is unconstitutional cruel and unusual punishment and has a chilling effect on the men’s rights to exercise their religion.
Ramadan is the Muslim holy month, marked by daily fasting from dawn to sunset. In Anchorage, for those who observe Ramadan, that can mean going about 18 hours without food. Sunrise in Anchorage is shortly before 5 a.m. and sunset is about 11 p.m.
Those observing Ramadan receive bagged meals each evening that range from about 500 and 1,100 calories a day, the lawsuit says. The men should be receiving 2,600 to 2,800 calories per day under federal health guidelines, said Lena Masri, national litigation director for the Council on American-Islamic Relations.
Additionally, the bags sometimes contain food made of pork, which she said they cannot eat because of their faith. “So you’re talking about even less calories in those situations,” she said.
The lawsuit says the under the policy of the state corrections department, correctional facility superintendents are required to develop procedures to allow for the temporary accommodation of multi-day religious fasting and food prohibitions.
But it says the policy at the Anchorage Correctional Complex does not provide Muslim inmates observing Ramadan with a balanced diet.
Alaska corrections department spokeswoman Megan Edge said in a statement that the department cannot comment on specific litigation but can provide general information on efforts to accommodate inmates who want to observe religious practices.
She said the Anchorage jail provides two sack meals each night to inmates observing Ramadan. In total, each of those inmates receives four sandwiches and four pieces of fruit, vegetable sticks, two servings of milk and cookies or cake, she said. Ramadan began on May 16 and will end on about June 15, the lawsuit states.
The lawsuit was filed on behalf of inmates Anas Dowl and Ernest Jacobsson. It names as defendants state corrections Commissioner Dean Williams and the Superintendent of the Anchorage Correctional Complex, Zane Nighswonger, among others.
A separate emergency injunction also was filed. It says the inmates have unsuccessfully filed grievances over the policy and exhausted their ability to obtain emergency relief through the administrative process.
Last year, the Michigan Corrections Department and Muslim prisoners settled a similar lawsuit that was brought by the Michigan chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations.
Muslims are a perpetual problem in prisons all over America. Sometimes the other inmates take matters into their own hands:
I have to wonder just how many moslems there are in Alaska.
Enough for at least one mega mosque.
Wow they are even in the far north in Alaska and Yellowknife NWT. These muslims will do anything even tobrave to cold to have sex with caribou.
Pop-top cans of pork and beans only and mandatory licking of islamists by guard dogs.
Oh, BOO HOO, so these slugs think they deserve special treatment because they want to eat at a different time of day? Should have thought of that before they committed the crime. Let them feast on the contents of whats under their finger nails after they wipe their butts with their fingers, Muslim candy! Also, they could import some camel urine for them at their expense.
Nag2:
We, that is the non-criminal, non-muslim, legal citizenry, did not choose that supposed religion and we have absolutely no responsibility to help those mental defectives that did choose it, to keep it.
We have NO RESPONSIBILITY to help ANYONE keep the tenets of ANY religion !
Doubly so if you are a convicted criminal and are in jail or prison.
It’s time to realize that fact.
What the hell is wrong with us ? ! ?
I see the prison rules as a reason NOT to do time, weather muslim or not!
How many calories do you need when you sit in a cell all day?
This illustrates what the Ramadan “fast” really is: Islamic gluttony all night long.
Non-Muslims need to understand the Islamic principles of “tayseer” (to ease one’s burden) and “Darura” (necessity). See this short video by Dr. Bill Warner: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4m7FncBSNC8
I enjoyed watching the muslime getting the crap kicked out of him. More please!
I don’t think many of them get filmed.
Meals containing pig meat should be the only food on offer to these pieces of filth. They can always starve to death, I won’t mind.
If Muslims are so ‘holy’ how did they end up in prison? If they are as spiritual as they pretend, they should not be committing crimes.
Feed em’ nothing but Bacon. They deserve nothing but.
Feed em’ nothing but pork. They deserve no more and no less. Bacon!
Is there any situation you can deal with muslims without having to change everything around to suit them??? Imagine the frustration hiring someone that literally stops whatever he’s doing 5 times a day. Doing some searching to get a visa to my wife as soon as I arrive in Malaysia just to be greeted with this.
http://www.imi.gov.my/images/slideshow-eng/4_JUMAAT-en.jpg
God help me this year…
yeah like the people on cell phones these days! some people are like sex addicted fools to the damn things, they can’t stop touching them. Crazy
I have one thing to say…actually two….Hey, Muzzies, you shouldn’t have done the crime in the first place. You don’t have any freaking rights in prison.
No one in prison needs a high-calorie diet (except in medical cases). They just want a high-calorie diet so they can bulk-up lifting weights & intimidate/fight with the other prisoners.
That looks like plenty of food for one meal or two meals eaten very close together.
Every prison in America should allow unlimited beating of the members of the religion of peace.
These filthy mutts need to assimilate or leave.
Allah FUBAR
What kind of fast …. allows you to early breakfast …. and late dinner …. plus midnight snacks ?
It’s three meals and a cot; especially in prison. And you’re there because you are a criminal paying for your crime. It’s not a religious commune with the public blending over backwards to serve you Muslim. Remember – tomorrow is pork on the menu. Waste not – want not.
Even the non-Islamic prisoners hate you. Keep it up Muslim – they will hate you more than child molesters. (That’s right – you are that too.)