CAIR Urges Imposing Fine on Nevada Prison for Refusing to Let Muslims Congregate for Friday Prayer
CAIR called on a federal court to impose a $10,000 fine on a Nevada prison planning to violate a court order issued earlier this week (Nov. 10) directing officials to allow Muslim incarcerees to congregate for jumu’ah) – the weekly congregational prayer held each Friday that is integral to Islamic religious practice.
In ordering a weekly congregational prayer at Lovelock Correctional Center, the court directed the prison to “schedule weekly Jumu’ah services on Fridays from 12:30 p.m. to 1:45 p.m.” The court also chastised the Nevada Department of Corrections for making multiple “inaccurate or misleading representations” that delayed the federal court from acting.
Friday marked the Nevada prison’s first obligation under the order. However, Nevada’s attorney general made clear that they would not comply with the order immediately.
“Lovelock Correctional Center continues the same callous behavior that embroiled the prison in years of litigation regarding the rights of Muslims confined there,” said CAIR Senior Litigation Attorney Gadeir Abbas. “We stand ready to enforce the terms of the court’s order to ensure the congregational prayer happens.”
“We will not allow this Nevada prison to ignore a federal court’s order, and we urge responsible officials to intervene to get these prison officials to do what the law requires – allow Muslims to gather for jumu’ah,” said CAIR Staff Attorney Kim Noe-Lehenbauer.
