Free Republic

Muslim prisoners who were offered ham sandwiches during the holy month of Ramadan have received a letter of apology from the Government. Officials said sorry to the 200 Muslim inmates of HMP Leeds believed to have been offered the meat, which is forbidden by Islam. Jack Straw said in a letter that a "regrettable administrative error" led to the blunder and apologised for any offence caused to the Muslim community. The Justice Secretary has ordered staff at the category B facility to be more diligent and prison officers will be re-trained to consider inmates' cultural and religious needs. In October...

A thoughtless adolescent joke is being investigated by local police as a hate crime. If you need proof that hate crimes and state-run schools are two government projects that should never mix, look no further than Lewiston, Maine. According to the Maine Sun Journal, "On April 11, a white student placed a ham steak in a bag on a lunch table where Somali students were eating." The Somali students were Muslim and believe pork to be unclean. The offender, who is now being investigated as the perpetrator of a hate crime — albeit a calloused and thoughtless one — was...

Spencer, Iowa (AP) -- A man who police say showed up at a sandwich shop wearing nothing but a ski mask will face several charges once he's released from the hospital, police said Thursday. Mathias Kout, 55, of Spencer, walked into a Subway about 11 p.m. Wednesday without any clothes on — except for the mask. He didn't stay long and he didn't order anything, Police Chief Mike Lashbrook said. A woman was working at the counter when Kout walked in, Lashbrook said. Not long after, the woman's boyfriend walked in and Kout left, he said. Police spotted a pickup...