(WASHINGTON, D.C., 4/6/23) – The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) today announced the settlement of two cases, brought on behalf of seven Muslims, who for years were forbidden from praying in groups—no matter how small—while incarcerated at Maryland’s Prince George’s County jail.
In response to these cases and advocacy from CAIR and the community, the jail changed its policies in 2020 to allow Muslims to gather for prayer in groups of four or less, and more recently, allowed Muslims to freely congregate for prayer with others in their housing unit.
These developments paved the way for a settlement, which includes a financial payment to the parties.
See Status Report on the Settlements
CAIR filed suit in 2018 on behalf of six Muslims. When CAIR filed the lawsuit, Christians at the jail were able to gather for Bible study and to pray whenever they were outside of their cells. Others were permitted to gather for non-religious reasons—to play sports, board games, or for educational purposes. Officers at the jail, however, treated Muslims differently, preventing Muslims from congregating for any Islamic purpose and threatening violence against them if they disobeyed.
These cases are two of three lawsuits CAIR has filed against Prince George’s County for violating the rights of Muslims. The still-pending lawsuit regards a Christians-only job application, whereby a Muslim chaplain was asked to attest to Christian beliefs as a condition of employment.
SEE Only Christians Could Apply for Jail Chaplain Position
More recently, CAIR has noticed improvement in how the jail provides accommodations to Muslims held there. For example, the jail has allowed multiple Muslim chaplains in the facility to provide services.
“After many years, Prince George’s County is starting to address the needs of Muslims held in its jail,” said CAIR attorney Gadeir Abbas. “We’ll continue to monitor the jail’s progress, help where we can, but stand ready to defend the rights of Muslims if the need arises again.”
“Prince George’s County jail still has steps it can take to accommodate Muslims in custody,” said CAIR Office in Maryland Director Zainab Chaudry. “With the community, CAIR will work with county leaders to ensure that each Muslim at the jail has the opportunity to practice their faith.”
See CAIR and Community Leaders Hold Jummah and Press Conference outside of Jail: https://www.cair.com/press_releases/cair-to-join-md-muslim-prisoner-project-at-prayer-news-conference-to-support-incarcerated-muslims-rights-to-religious-accommodations-in-prince-georges-county/
Washington, D.C., based CAIR offers an educational toolkit, called “A Correctional Institution’s Guide to Islamic Religious Practices,” to help correctional officers and administrators gain a better understanding of Islam and Muslims.
SEE: A Correctional Institution’s Guide to Islamic Religious Practices
CAIR’s mission is to protect civil rights, enhance understanding of Islam, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.
La misión de CAIR es proteger las libertades civiles, mejorar la comprensión del Islam, promover la justicia, y empoderar a los musulmanes en los Estados Unidos.
Become a Fan of CAIR on Facebook
http://www.facebook.com/CAIRNational
Subscribe to CAIR’s Email List
https://action.cair.com/a/newsletters
Subscribe to CAIR’s Twitter Feed
http://twitter.com/cairnational
Subscribe to CAIR’s YouTube Channel
Follow CAIR on Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/cair_national/
Donate to CAIR
https://action.cair.com/a/donate
Do you like reading CAIR press releases and taking part in our action alerts? You can help contribute to CAIR’s work of defending civil rights and empowering American Muslims across the country by making a one-time contribution or becoming a monthly donor. Supporters like you make CAIR’s advocacy work possible and defeating Islamophobia an achievable goal. Click here to donate to CAIR.
You are receiving this email due to your interest selection from commercial media databases. If you would like to join CAIR’s media list, please sign up here: https://action.cair.com/a/newsletters — For more information, email: [email protected], CC [email protected]
END
CONTACT: CAIR Office in Maryland Director Zainab Chaudry, 410-971-6062, [email protected]; CAIR Senior Litigation Attorney Gadeir Abbas, 720-251-0425, [email protected]; CAIR National Deputy Director Edward Ahmed Mitchell, 404-285-9530, [email protected]; CAIR Government Affairs Director Robert McCaw, 202-742-6448, [email protected]; CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726, [email protected], CAIR National Communications Coordinator Ismail Allison, 202-770-6280, [email protected]