(Middle East Eye) A number of Muslim prisoners in Virginia have been denied the right to fast during the holy month of Ramadan because prison management received “too many” requests, three rights groups said.
Muslim Advocates, the Islamic Circle of North America’s Council for Social Justice and the Virginia Prison Justice Network said that several inmates at Wallens Ridge State Prison were also denied the right to observe Ramadan, which started on Thursday, because they had not properly registered as Muslim.
The rights groups said on Tuesday that prison authorities had ordered the facility’s chaplain to arbitrarily deny requests that some of the inmates be placed on a “Ramadan List.”
