The Michigan Chapter of Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR-MI), a local chapter of the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today filed a lawsuit in the Federal District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan against Jackson County Sheriff’s Officials on behalf of a Muslim man who alleges that he has not been receiving adequate Ramadan accommodations while being housed at Jackson County Jail’s Wesley Road Jail facility.
CAIR-MI’s Complaint and Emergency Motion for a Temporary Restraining Order on behalf of Marving Owens alleges that Jackson County Sheriff’s Office officials and employees, along with Tiggs Canteen Services, Inc., have violated Owens’ rights under the U.S. Constitution and the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act (RLUIPA) for their alleged failure to provide nutritious and sufficiently caloric meals in a timely manner to Owens while he is observing the Ramadan fast.
In a statement CAIR-MI Executive Director, Dawud Walid said:
“Jackson County Sheriff’s Office and the private canteen service they have contracted with to provide religious diet accommodations to Muslims are accountable to those individuals who are in their custody, and by failing to provide adequately accommodations to fasting Muslims, they have not upheld their obligations under state and federal law. Despite their claims that they take the religious rights and physical health of fasting Muslims seriously, their unwillingness to meet, and their finger pointing prove otherwise. Jackson County Sheriff’s Office must immediately act to ensure that Mr. Owens, and other Muslims in their custody, are provided with healthy and sufficient meals at the beginning and end of their fast.”
In a statement CAIR-MI Staff Attorney, Amy V. Doukoure, said:
“The U.S. Constitution and federal law act to protect the rights of everyone, even those who are convicted of committing crimes. The law requires that Jackson County Sheriff’s Office take steps to ensure that detainees in their custody can safely practice their sincerely held religious beliefs in fasting the month of Ramdan by providing them with sufficiently nutritious and caloric meals necessary to sustain their health and wellbeing.”
She noted that CAIR’s national office offers educational booklets, called “A Correctional Institution’s Guide to Islamic Religious Practices,” and “A Law Enforcement Official’s Guide to the Muslim Community,” to help law enforcement authorities gain a better understanding of Islam and Muslims.
BACKGROUNDER:
Ramadan is the ninth month on the Islamic calendar which follows a lunar cycle. This year, Ramadan started on March 9th and will end around April 9, 2024. During the holy month of Ramadan, Muslims around the world observe a fast by abstaining from food and drink from dawn until sunset each day.
Marving Owens, an African American Muslim man currently being housed in Jackson County Jail has alleged that for the first three days of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan he was not provided a pre-dawn meal known as suhoor nor was he provided a meal at sunset- iftar.
Owen states that he was forced to rely on his own limited supply of personal items that he had purchased from the commissary to sustain himself for those days. He further alleges that since he has begun receiving the predawn and sunset meals, that he has faced additional problems including receiving his meals up to two hours late and that the food he does receive does not contain sufficient nutrition or calories. According to representations by Owens, he has been provided about half of the 2,600 minimum calories which are standard for a man of his age and activity.
CAIR-MI attempted several times over a period of two weeks to attempt to resolve Owen’s complaints with the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office prior to filing suit. Despite acknowledging many of the allegations made by Owens, Jackson County Sheriff’s Office has failed to address the concerns of Mr. Owen’s related to the timing of meals or the amount of calories Owens is being provided.
CAIR-MI today filed a Complaint and Emergency Motion for a Temporary Restraining Order on behalf of Mr. Moore alleging that Jackson County Sheriff’s Office officials and employees along with Tiggs Canteen Services, Inc. have violated Owens’ rights under the U.S. Constitution and the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act (RLUIPA) for their alleged failure to provide nutritious and sufficiently caloric meals in a timely manner to Moore while he is observing the Ramadan fast.
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CONTACT: CAIR-MI Executive Director, Dawud Walid (248) 842-1418, dwalid@cair.com; CAIR-MI Staff Attorney, Amy V. Doukoure, (586) 943-8823, adoukoure@cair.com