Brits Turn Toilets for Muslim Prisoners

[Caligastia]

British authorities are spending taxpayers’ money to rebuild prison toilets so Muslim inmates don’t have to face Mecca while using them.

The Islamic religion prohibits Muslims from facing or turning their backs on the Kiblah—the direction of prayer—when they use the toilet, according to the Sun newspaper in London. Muslim inmates complain that they have to sit sideways on prison toilets to comply with that prohibition.

But now jail officials have bowed to pressure from Muslim leaders and agreed to turn toilets 90 degrees at London’s Brixton prison.

Authorities have refused to reveal the cost of the project, which they say is part of an “ongoing refurbishment.”

Around a quarter of prisoners at the prison are Muslims, the Sun reports.

One Brixton jail officer grumbled: “If they didn’t get locked up for committing crimes they would not have this problem.

“If we weren’t paying for it as taxpayers I’d laugh my socks off.”

http://www.newsmax.com/archives/ic/2006/4/20/104751.shtml

I understand that in their native lands the buckets are omnidirectional.

[Ramo]

Newsmax. Always fair and balanced.

For some reason I don't think that this is the whole story.


And it isn't... This is what the BBC has to say:

Facilities in a prison are being built so Muslim inmates do not have to face Mecca while sitting on the toilet.

The Home Office said two new toilet blocks are being installed as part of a refurbishment at Brixton jail in south London.

Faith leaders had told prison bosses it was unacceptable for Muslim inmates to face Mecca while using the toilet.

"The refurbishment has been carried out with due consideration for all faiths", a Home Office spokeswoman said.

"Following consultation with faith leaders within the prison, various small adjustments were made to ensure the faith issues of all prisoners are taken into account."

She added: "The money spent did not affect the overall cost of the refurbishment programme."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/london/4926114.stm

[Caligastia]

It's still ridiculous that ancient superstitions are catered to.

[Lawrence of Arabia]

[Ramo]

Why? If it makes the prisoners happier, doesn't affect security concerns, and it doesn't cost any more money, why not do it?

[Caligastia]

Why should we go out of our way to make prisoners happier?

[Ramo]

They're not going out of their way. It doesn't cost any more money.

[BeBMan]

Because if the prisoners are happy the terrorists win.

[Imran Siddiqui]

Originally posted by Caligastia
Why should we go out of our way to make prisoners happier?

As Ramo said, they aren't "going out of their way"

Secondly, yeah, lets torture prisoners and forbid them from religious service. I mean there is no need for them to be happy at all in prison!

[Imran Siddiqui]

Originally posted by BeBro
Because if the prisoners are happy the terrorists win.

Well played!

[Caligastia]

Originally posted by Ramo
They're not going out of their way. It doesn't cost any more money.

Time is money, and the time that was spent consulting with muslim leaders was a waste of money.

[Caligastia]

Originally posted by Imran Siddiqui


As Ramo said, they aren't "going out of their way"

Secondly, yeah, lets torture prisoners and forbid them from religious service. I mean there is no need for them to be happy at all in prison!

No, there isn't. That's why they call it punishment.

[BeBMan]

IMO the "let the (terrorist) prisoners burn in hell"- attitude is emotionally understandable, but IMO it's unwise. What we call the war on terror is mainly about different values, and we claim that our's - including religious tolerance - are better (and comparing to totalitarian views hold by extremists I'm convinced they are).

So taking care of the beliefs of those prisoners it's actually a wise thing to do, since it makes us less vulnerable in the "cultural" battle that mainly is fought via the media (remember the "koran flushed down the toilet" story?). And this case is totally different from the one over the cartoons, since our fundamental principles (like freedom of the press in the carton row) aren't touched when the toilet's are turned in whatever direction, so we can easily do it without giving away anything from our views.

[DanS]

Point of information: would a devout, but not fundamentalist, muslim care about the direction of the toilet?

[Ramo]

Time is money, and the time that was spent consulting with muslim leaders was a waste of money.

If you don't think that unhappiness of the prison population doesn't affect administrative costs in significant ways (as opposed to a few hours of the warden's time), you're deluding yourself.

That's why they call it punishment.

I call it protecting society. And pointlessly pissing people off ain't protecting society.