Why you should care about a Muslim prisoner's beard

[rug]

October 6th, 2014
05:25 PM ET
Opinion by Emily Hardman, special to CNN

(CNN) – I’m not a Muslim. I’ve never been imprisoned. And I don’t want to grow a beard. But I’m defending the rights of someone who is and does.

On Tuesday, the Supreme Court will hear Holt v. Hobbs, a landmark case cutting to the heart of the First Amendment’s protection of religious freedom.

At issue is whether refusing to allow a prisoner to peacefully practice his religion violates a federal civil rights law, the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act, known as RLUIPA .

In this case, Abdul Muhammad (formerly named Gregory Holt) is an Arkansas inmate who wants to observe the Muslim command to grow a beard, in his case a half-inch in length.

http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2014/10/06/why-we-all-should-care-about-a-muslim-prisoners-beard/

[LiberalEsto]

1. Religion aside, why does IS shave the heads of those it beheads?nt

Last edited Mon Oct 6, 2014, 07:53 PM - Edit history (1)

[rug]

3. Damn good question.

One answer.

'Infidels must wear red collars and shave heads'

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2673493/Infidels-wear-red-collars-shave-heads-Nazi-vision-Muslim-Britain-Imam-ran-Isis-barbecue-Welsh-park.html

[cleanhippie]

2. If a beard can be grown for "religious" reasons...

Then growing a beard should be allowed for any reason.

While in the navy, we couldn't grow beards because gas masks, O2 masks, an any other gear that covered the face and protected breathing wouldn't function properly. A religious exemption wouldn't change that, so in jobs where wearing that sort of equipment ones religious proclivity couldn't be an issue.

Why can't prisoners grows beards?

[AtheistCrusader]

4. Hypothetically a hiding place for weapons or drugs.

Humans is strange.

[cbayer]

5. It will be interesting to see whether they think religious protections

only apply to christians or whether they also apply to muslims.