[Peace-discuss] SOLIDARITY WITH MARION-CMU PRISON HUNGER STRIKERS

Mon Jun 11 12:06:13 UTC 2012

SOLIDARITY WITH MARION-CMU PRISON HUNGER STRIKERS

In April 2012, a group of Muslim American political prisoners in the
Communication Management Unit (CMU) at Marion, IL were on hunger strike.
 Seeing the atrocious, inhumane mistreatment of Muslim prisoners, the
non-Muslim inmates also went on hunger strike in solidarity. The Warden
tried to silence Muslim prisoners by punishing them in solitary confinement
and barring their communication.

Since September 2011 the new Warden and her staff have been horribly
abusing and violating Muslim inmates increasingly-- harassing during
individual and congregational prayer times, revoking religiously prescribed
meal, banning spiritual educational programs, torturing with lights turned
on in the cells 24/7, and terminating communication with the outside
world-- and denying their constitutionally granted human rights.

The demands of Muslim political prisoners include:

religiously prescribed meal

individual and congregational prayers

religious and spiritual classes and educational programs

contacts with family and friends.

The CMU-Marion political prisoners' demands resonate strongly with what
Justice for Shifa Support Committee believes are part of our human rights
to freedom of religion and granting these rights to prisoners is a way to
make our communities free of religious bigotry and racial oppression.

Although Shifa has been removed from Marion-CMU to Terre Haute-CMU,
Indiana, Justice for Shifa Support Committee stands in solidarity with the
Muslim political prisoners who have been on hunger strike in the
Communication Management Unit (CMU) at Marion, IL.  Faith-based segregated
imprisonment and isolation at the CMU-Marion egregiously targets,
discriminates, silences and abuses a minority religious group collectively.
 At its core it also represses a group for practicing their faith and
demanding their constitutionally granted rights to religious freedom. We
see clear lines connecting the CMU-Marion struggle to the California hunger
striker's struggle-- demanding their constitutional and human rights-- and
preceding decades of prisoner-led demands to their rights throughout the
prison system.

We believe the US Government established these two 'secret' units, CMUs in
Illinois and Indiana, inside the Federal Prison System to harass and
prevent Muslim prisoners from practicing their faith and promoting racial
and religious intolerance. We believe the US is engaged in violent
'missionizing projects' using the CMUs and the prison system to coercively
assimilate Muslims to abandon their faith and spiritual life-- by targeting
and banning their basic spiritual and religious practices-- in violation of
the US Constitution and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

We encourage people everywhere to stand in solidarity with the CMU-Marion
political prisoner hunger strikers and forge connections across the prison
walls meant to disappear so many of our loved ones, friends and neighbors.

Justice for Shifa Support Committee demands an investigation into the
incidences at CMU-Marion, removal of the abusive Warden, and a stop to all
missionizing tactics of the government under the guise of fighting the War
on Terror.

..............................

.....

Stand in Solidarity with CMU-Marion Political Prisoners and Send the
Following Letter to the Warden and the Following Officials.

Date

Wendy J. Roal, Warden

4500 Prison Rd

Marion, IL 62959

Dear Warden Roel,

            I am writing to express my deep concern over the pattern of
harassment and mistreatment of Muslim inmates while in your custody in the
Communication Management Unit (CMU) at USP-Marion.

            According to reports your administration has recently placed
many Muslims in solitary confinement without explanation. In addition,
their right to freely practice the Muslim faith has been severely impaired
on multiple occasions, forcing them to go on a hunger strike. Numerous CMU
inmates from your facility have been complaining about illegal activities
that your administration and staff are engaging in to deny Muslim religious
and spiritual services under the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA),
the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act (RLUIPA) and BOP
regulations as well as the First Amendment.

            These abuses have worsened since your administration began in
September 2011. The reports allege either you personally or your staff are
engaging in the following pattern of misconduct and illegal behavior:

            1) Walking in on Muslims in the Chapel during Friday religious
services and interrupting service while the Muslim preacher delivers the
sermon.

            2) Cancelling several religious and spiritual classes that were
approved by the Bureau of Prison staff and taught for several months before
your arrival.

            3) Refusing to provide religiously prescribed Muslim meals,
Halal meals and food items which were approved by the Chaplain and Trust
Fund Supervisor at the BOP.

            4) Barring Muslim inmates from observing religious practices
and holidays

            5) Causing health problems by keeping lights on in the cells
24/7

            6) Harassing Muslim inmates during their individual and
congregational prayers

            7) Denying Muslims morning prayer

            8) Banning congregational Muslim prayer

            9) Stopping all educational and rehabilitative programs for
Muslims

            10) Prohibiting communication with the outside world

            The Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act of
2000 (RLUIPA) protects the religious rights of federal inmates. It appears
that your facility has been involved in serious discrimination against
Muslim inmates. I request that the following actions be taken immediately.

   -        Provide information on protocol and procedures regarding
   maintenance of prisoner safety, adherence to prisoner requests regarding
   communication with family members;
   -       Provide information about measures that have been taken to
   ensure CMU Muslim inmates are able to observe and practice their faith
   freely;
   -      Ensure that Muslim inmates constitutionally protected right to
   freely practice their religion is not being violated while they are in your
   facility;
   -      Provide all Muslim inmates with a formal written apology
   -      Ensure Muslim inmates will not be retaliated against as a result
   of this complaint;
   -      Compensate all Muslim inmates for the emotional distress they may
   have suffered as a result of the extreme illegal discrimination;
   -      Provide information about the type of cultural and religious
   sensitivity training is conducted for corrections personnel;

            I look forward to a positive and swift resolution to this
matter. Issues of such severe violations of civil and religious rights are
of grave concern to me as an American citizen. I will continue to monitor
this situation very closely and take any appropriate action that it deems
necessary, including seeking further public attention for this case.

            I appreciate you taking prompt action to remedy these serious
issues inside CMU-Marion.

Sincerely,

Cc:

Thomas E. Perez

Assistant Attorney General

U.S. Department of Justice

Civil Rights Division

950 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.

Office of the Assistant Attorney General

Washington, DC 20530

Michael E. Horowitz

Inspector General

US Department of Justice

950 Pennsylvania Ave., NW

Washington, DC 20530

Director Charles E. Samuels, Jr.

U.S. Department of Justice

Federal Bureau of Prisons

320 First Street, NW

Washington, DC 20534

Patrick Leahy

United States Senate

Committee on the Judiciary

224 Dirksen Senate Office Building

Washington, DC 20510

Manfred Nowak

Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR)

Palais Wilson

52 Rue Des Paquis

CH - 201 Geneva, Switzerland

Congressman John Conyers

United States House of Representative

2426 Rayburn H.O.B

Washington, DC 20515

Attorney Alan Mills

Uptown People's Law Center

4413 N. Sheridan

Chicago, IL 60640

-- 

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