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John Walker Lindh Sues For Prison Prayer Group
NPR ^ | 08/26/2012 | CARRIE JOHNSON and MARGOT WILLIAMS

Posted on 08/27/2012 4:43:35 AM PDT by SeekAndFind

John Walker Lindh was a middle-class kid in Northern California who converted to Islam and went to travel the world. U.S. authorities eventually captured him in Afghanistan after 9/11, when he was allegedly fighting alongside the Taliban.

His story was the focus of a "Law and Order" episode, and a song called "John Walker's Blues" by Steve Earle.

For the last five years, Lindh has been living in a secret prison facility in Indiana with convicted terrorists, neo Nazis and other inmates who get special monitoring.

On Monday, Lindh will come out of the shadows and into a federal courthouse in Indianapolis, as the plaintiff in a lawsuit against the Federal Bureau of Prisons.

The devout Muslim wants to be able to pray together with his fellow inmates every day from inside the walls of his secret prison unit in Terre Haute, Ind.

"They can sit around and talk about politics or football or whatever philosophy," says Ken Falk, a lawyer at the American Civil Liberties Union who's representing Lindh. "The one thing they're not allowed to do is pray together for their daily prayers, which many Muslims believe is required or at least strongly preferred."

Falk says the prison system is stepping on the rights of those inmates to practice their faith under a federal law called the Religious Freedom Restoration Act.

The Bureau of Prisons didn't want to talk about the specifics of the case. But they argued in court papers that allowing inmates to pray together every day could pose a security threat and could ignite violence against Muslims by prisoners who follow other religions.

Prison officials add that Lindh has had some discipline problems. He got in trouble for making a call to prayer early in the morning. Next, he got cited for praying in a cell with other people. And in the third episode, the warden accused Lindh of being "insolent" after his family visits got cut short.

"Anyone would have reacted with anger to two terminations of visits with family members who are traveling two-thirds of the way across the country," says Falk, who contends the other infractions didn't represent anything serious.

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TOPICS: Culture/Society; News/Current Events; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: islam; johnwalkerlindh; lindh; rlindh; terrorism
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To: SeekAndFind

I’d give him a special cell. One with a pipe overhead, a rope on the bed, and a stool in the corner. Play a Justin Bieber song on constant loop. Whatever happens, happens.

This guy is a POS. He should get NOTHING.


21 posted on 08/27/2012 6:17:20 AM PDT by youngidiot (The name's Bond. James Bond. James Bond Jovi.)
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To: SeekAndFind

“Allgedly fighting alongside the Taliban”...????

This piece of garbage was tried and found guilty and only the fact that he’s a Muslim kept him from the death penalty.

It’s not “alleged” at that point.


22 posted on 08/27/2012 6:21:46 AM PDT by livius
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To: luvbach1

Young brain numbed liberal? Yes, I’ll grant you that. But his continued actions while in prison are further proof that he is a commited radical islamist, and should be treated as such.


23 posted on 08/27/2012 7:21:04 AM PDT by enraged
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To: SeekAndFind

“John Walker Lindh was a middle-class kid in Northern California who converted to Islam and went to travel the world. U.S. authorities eventually captured him in Afghanistan after 9/11, when he was allegedly fighting alongside the Taliban.”

This is an incorrect statement, because this mini-Taliban grew up in Marin County, home of the Far Left ( and Babs Boxer). Marin County is not considered to be part of Northern California by most of us who live here.


24 posted on 08/27/2012 9:52:22 AM PDT by vette6387
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To: Huaynero
skin the little sh!t alive then set him on fire as far as i'm concerned...
25 posted on 08/27/2012 2:43:03 PM PDT by Chode (American Hedonist - *DTOM* -ww- NO Pity for the LAZY)
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To: Chode

Note to US Military, the next time you find a US traitor, smoke his ass.


26 posted on 08/27/2012 2:44:07 PM PDT by dfwgator
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To: dfwgator
roger that...
27 posted on 08/27/2012 2:46:20 PM PDT by Chode (American Hedonist - *DTOM* -ww- NO Pity for the LAZY)
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