Religion
Related: About this forumSupreme Court upholds religious rights of prisoners
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2015/01/20/supreme-court-prisoner-beard-muslim-religion/19916823/Richard Wolf, USA TODAY 11:01 a.m. EST January 20, 2015
AP
WASHINGTON -- A Supreme Court that has extended the reach of religion into public life in recent years ruled Tuesday that spirituality can overcome even prison security concerns.
The court came down decisively on the side of a Muslim prisoner whose beard had been deemed potentially dangerous by the Arkansas Department of Correction. Growing a beard, the justices said, was a Muslim man's religious right.
The unanimous opinion, written by Justice Samuel Alito, had been widely anticipated despite two lower court decisions upholding the state's no-beard policy.
"Hair on the head is a more plausible place to hide contraband than a half-inch beard, and the same is true of an inmate's clothing and shoes," Alito said. "Nevertheless, the department does not require inmates to go about bald, barefoot or naked."
more at link
LiberalAndProud
(12,799 posts)bald, barefoot, naked and beardless without violating religious rights? Just wondering.
cbayer
(146,218 posts)LiberalAndProud
(12,799 posts)I just wonder if Alito might give prison officials some ideas.
cbayer
(146,218 posts)edhopper
(33,606 posts)or even this guy's beard and allowed long hair and other things.
Making this a case of discrimination. It would also be interesting to know if they made religious accommodations
to Christians, I'd guess they did.
cbayer
(146,218 posts)Why they made such a big case out of this is not clear.
One of the issues that comes up, I think, is that not all requests of accommodation are genuine. I can see how that might get tiresome.
edhopper
(33,606 posts)the Muslim thing had something to do with it.
cbayer
(146,218 posts)They safety argument they made was extremely weak.
edhopper
(33,606 posts)in Alabama who won't let the school history class see Selma because of "bad language".
cbayer
(146,218 posts)Do you even know what that means, because I sure don't.
BTW, the superintendent sends his four kids to a private christian school. I hope he gets voted out of office next go round.
edhopper
(33,606 posts)he's probably a hero.
cbayer
(146,218 posts)the ones allowed to vote.
Maybe a movie about the plight of people discriminated against would be good for him to see.