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Crime

Judge: ‘American Taliban’ Terrorist Can Hold Group Islamic Prayers From Prison

Jan. 12, 2013 11:20pm Erica Ritz

Judge: American Taliban John Walker Lindh Can Hold Group Islamic Prayer in Prison

This undated file photo obtained from a religious school where he studied for five months in Bannu, Pakistan shows American-born Taliban fighter John Walker Lindh. (Photo: AP)

(TheBlaze/AP) — An American convicted of fighting alongside the Taliban must be allowed to pray daily in a group with other Muslim inmates at his high-security prison in Indiana, a federal judge ruled Friday.

Barring John Walker Lindh and his fellow Muslims from engaging in daily group ritual prayer violates a 1993 law that bans the government from curtailing religious speech without showing a compelling interest, U.S. District Judge Jane Magnus-Stinson ruled.

The judge blocked the prison from enforcing its ban on daily group prayer, but noted that her ruling does not prohibit the prison from taking more restrictive security measures.

U.S. Attorney Joe Hogsett, whose office represented the prison, said Friday that prosecutors were considering their next step, including a possible appeal.

“This case deals with critically important issues that have significance both inside and outside the walls of our federal prison facilities,” Hogsett said. “Our concern continues to be the safety and security of both our federal prison system and the United States of America.”

Ken Falk, legal director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Indiana, which represented Lindh, noted Friday that witnesses testified prisoners were allowed for many years to pray daily outside their cells, “and it never caused any problem.”

“I think the court correctly noted that security is a primary concern, but that it’s not sufficient for the government to claim a security concern without having evidence of it,” Falk said.

Group prayers had been allowed once a week and on high holy days such as Ramadan or Christmas in the prison unit where Lindh was housed, the Communications Management Unit in Terre Haute, Ind. But at other times, inmates had to pray alone in their cells.

Ken Falk, the legal director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Indiana, talks about his client John Walker Lindh during a lunch break at the United States Court House in Indianapolis, Monday, Aug. 27, 2012. (Photo: AP)

Lindh said that didn’t meet the Quran’s requirements, and that the Hanbali school of Islam to which he adheres requires him to pray daily with other Muslims.

But prison officials said the same restrictions applied to all inmates, and that meeting Lindh’s demands would be dangerous, unaffordable and unfair. Government witnesses testified that Muslims, who make up the majority of inmates in the unit, have operated like a gang under the guise of religious activity.

During trial, the ACLU noted that games and some other group activities were not restricted.

Lindh is serving a 20-year sentence for aiding the Taliban during the 2001 U.S.-led invasion of Afghanistan. He was captured by U.S. troops that year, and in 2002 pleaded guilty to supplying services and carrying explosives for the now-defunct Taliban government. He is eligible for release in 2019.

Raised Catholic, the California native was 12 when he saw the movie “Malcolm X” and became interested in Islam. He converted at age 16. Walker told Newsweek after his capture that he had entered Afghanistan to help the Taliban build a “pure Islamic state.”

Lindh joined the prayer lawsuit in 2010, three years after being sent to the Indiana prison. The suit was originally filed in 2009 by two Muslim inmates in the unit, but it got far more attention when Lindh joined the case. The other plaintiffs later dropped out as they were released or transferred from the prison.

“I think he was ready to just abide by the outcome, but I think in John’s mind he felt he had an obligation to stand up for the right to pray,” Lindh’s father, Frank Lindh, during a phone interview from his office in San Francisco.

“We’re proud to live in a country where even someone in John’s position, an inmate in a prison, could get heard in court on the right to pray,” he said. “Today I feel proud to be an American.”

–

Associated Press writer Ken Kusmer contributed to this report.

–

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Comments (69)

jessieH
Posted on January 13, 2013 at 11:03am
Let him go. Just tell us when & where, so we can “welcome” him with a 2000 gun salute to the head.

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- decendentof56
  Posted on January 13, 2013 at 12:54pm
  Really! I’d love to kick the S#*t out of the little twit!
  
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- db321
  Posted on January 13, 2013 at 3:35pm
  What the big deal with him teaching a little Islamic Jehad in Prison. We have bigger problems in America, like that Tim Teabow kneeling when he uses his God given talents to get into the in zone.
  
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- BigCanadianIrish
  Posted on January 13, 2013 at 7:50pm
  did I miss something here – thats all the filthy little piece of islamic excrement got? 20 years?…he should have his sorry mohammed-loving asss rotting in prison for the REST OF HIS LIFE…
  
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- paulwbrown
  Posted on January 13, 2013 at 8:38pm
  The idiot father is as wacked out as his son. The father is happy that his kid can practice in prison the religion that lead him to war against the U.S.
  
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raptor45
Posted on January 13, 2013 at 10:50am
I’d rather that our government lock this little jihadist in a dark cell with a food door and a toilet for the rest of his life. No light, no human contact, no fresh air….just food and water and a place to poop. Let him shower once a month.

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- macpappy
  Posted on January 13, 2013 at 11:50pm
  They don’t burn witches anymore either, does that piss you off?
  
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Michael
Posted on January 13, 2013 at 9:26am
How sad that we lost an American hero Micheal Spann, and have to pay to keep this piece-of-crap Lindh fed and protected.

Mullah Lindh, do you pray for the soul of Micheal Spann and for his surviving wife and children?

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Uechi
Posted on January 13, 2013 at 9:14am
This piece of filth shouldn’t have to worry about prays he should be dead. This traitorous animal should have been executed. In any event, I look forward to his early demise.

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- dmerwin
  Posted on January 13, 2013 at 9:26am
  They should have finished flooding the prison in Mazar-i-Sharif and we wouldn’t be having this discussion. Treason and committing war against your fellow countrymen used to be punishable by death.
  
  Report this comment
- G-WHIZ
  Posted on January 13, 2013 at 10:42am
  …so this DIRTBAG is allowed to have GANG-PRAYER IN PRISON?? … THE SAME AS Islamist/JIHADDIST-GANG-prayer in MOSK??
  
  Report this comment
- toto
  Posted on January 13, 2013 at 5:27pm
  Agree. Time for the Blaze to allow us to give a thumbs up or down and an accounting of sentiments. It isn’t about the monkey see, monkey do stuff, just would like a better sense of the numbers of those feel as strongly as some of us do.
  
  Report this comment
- macpappy
  Posted on January 13, 2013 at 11:52pm
  Yep, believe it or not, you are allowed to worship your God in prison….and have prayer meetings. Where do you think home grown muslims come from?
  
  Report this comment
thibx
Posted on January 13, 2013 at 8:58am
americans are stupid fight for these sob’s to pray to their god the devil “to kill us, but fighting against my kids who want to pray at school for God to protect them and help them with their work for the day. country hell bound so are the people who fight against Jesus Christ.

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getourcountryback
Posted on January 13, 2013 at 8:34am
So his dad is “proud” to be an American….must be hard when you have a terrorist muslim piece of crap for a son that should have been hanged for treason.

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ares338
Posted on January 13, 2013 at 8:27am
Why do all ACLU lawyers look like old qu££RS?

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ares338
Posted on January 13, 2013 at 8:26am
Next thing you know all of those pesky Baptist prisoners will want to have prayer meetings too.

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- mrunner
  Posted on January 13, 2013 at 10:12am
  Just guessing, but I would bet that there are not a whole lot of practicing Baptists in prison. If they claim to truly be practicing christians- they are not nearly as likely to end up in prison. Practicing Christianity is likely to keep you out of prison. The radical interpretation of Islam is an instruction on to end up in prison… (or blown up). A religion of hate vs religion of compassion.
  
  Report this comment
Box55
Posted on January 13, 2013 at 8:21am
Hang him so he can speak directly to mohomad in the fires of hell! You want a pet to feed, get a dog!

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SamIamTwo
Posted on January 13, 2013 at 8:18am
who wants to see their butts up in the air, what 5 times a day? I guess they have arrows point the way to Mecca and a throw rug? Prob will let them out for their special rituals later in a few years, eh?

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kenSt
Posted on January 13, 2013 at 8:08am
Oh and make sure they have enough cookies and milk. Not the homogenized stuff bring the goat so they can spiritually suckle from the tit. Bring in water from Mecca because washing there feet with the water available is not good enough for these religious freedom loving towel heads. They will need updated maps of North America after all dividing up the land mass will take considerable prayer time. I can see it now, My woman dressed in the newest of garbs. covering every inch of her body and disfigured non feeling private part. U know the land down under. after seeing this i can kill my daughter cause one of the few Christians left she had talked to.
When is it going to be enough. Are there any groups out there working toward militant or christian militant ideas. You cant fight fire by appeasing it or talking to it. It takes fire unfortunately. We all hate being pushed into taking a violent response roll. Bullies don’t care and feed on appeasing weakly humans. Lets stop being food. Lets stop thinking the crusades was wrong. every so many years or decades the Muslims have had to be cut down to stop there crazy teachings on how they see the world. From what i have seen these sub humans are from hell and there actions show it.

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- toto
  Posted on January 13, 2013 at 5:31pm
  Prayer rugs made from pig **** and I’m all in.
  
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justavoter
Posted on January 13, 2013 at 7:26am
Why do terrorists need to have meetings in prison when the Whitehouse has them everyday? The Whitehouse is now doing their very best to take our guns so terrorists can just come over here and kill us all. The Whitehouse wants us to be as defenseless as all those children were at Sandy Hill.

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Joyzee
Posted on January 13, 2013 at 6:58am
as Barack would say ” Tolly Bhon “……#:0(

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raderby
Posted on January 13, 2013 at 5:58am
why not just put a tracking ankle bracelet on him and send him to Yemen or whatever litterbox he comes from?

Then king zero can off the dude with a drone, or, if he is working for zero, let him slip away.

Save all us some dough.

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Ghandi was a Republican
Posted on January 13, 2013 at 3:51am
Okay- One more time.. ISLAM IS NOT A RELIGION Islam is a direct violation of U.S. law in that it seeks to destroy freedom of religion. That’s the whole scam with these terrorists. You can no longer trust anyone identifying with islam. They do not speak out against atrocities across the World.
Islam is at war with every religion on the Planet.

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- PATTY HENRY
  Posted on January 13, 2013 at 10:10am
  Amen.
  
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- macpappy
  Posted on January 14, 2013 at 12:20am
  I am afraid that like it or not, Islam is as much a religion as Christianity is. The fact that you don’t like the way one religion is run does not negate it as a religion. Hell, I am sure Jews called Christians a commune or cult, right up until they were out numbered by them. It is a religion, a fast growing religion, and you better know it. Here is another tid bit for you. You can not destroy one religion with another, the only way to defeat a religion is through education. Teach people the arts, and sciences and they will not need sky gods to pray to.
  
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donaldchar
Posted on January 13, 2013 at 3:02am
So Johnny’s father is glad to be an American? Well, Johnny’s not – he wants to rid the world of Christians and Jews, the very ones who gave him the “right” to pray (which was never denied him, only group prayer seems to be the issue). But his new “friends” viciously deny that same right to all others. Nominal Roman Catholic to cold-blooded Islamic terrorist doesn’t seem like he was searching for god, now, does it? What was his priest teaching that left him vacant inside? It’s not hard to do; Johnny has a multitude of inadvertent mimics, fence-straddling and getting off on the anti-freedom side. God offers freedom; Allah offers bondage – believe what we tell you or off with your head.

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Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}
Posted on January 13, 2013 at 1:48am
Have the guards watching over them armed to the teeth with full-auto weapons, the first aggressive move on the prisoners behalf, end of Taliban and terrorists.

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- subic
  Posted on January 13, 2013 at 2:02am
  Patriotic group to build armed defensible fortress community.
  
  http://cnsnews.com/blog/gregory-gwyn-williams-jr/patriotic-group-build-armed-defensible-neighborhood-fortress
  
  Report this comment
- Walkabout
  Posted on January 13, 2013 at 1:08pm
  subic
  I have a problem with them asking for donations. Someone who is poor or middle class should be building their own community not donating. Maybe if the Koch brothers or someone rich wants to donate, fine.
  Some communities in out of the way places are fine, necessary even.
  But many other defensible communities have to be where the jobs are near enough to commute.
  Put earth embankments around neighborhoods of like minded people. These are popular for noise abatement & privacy. They are also useful in that they protect the first floor from direct fire from a drive by. They also are handy as a impediment to vehicles (or can be made so) & make fine ramparts.
  
  Beside the earth embankments a neighborhood watch can be established at a minimum.
  
  Things get tougher gates can be installed. These neighborhood should have limited access to people driving thru (casing). Access has to be balanced with the logistics of traveling/commuting. Too few extis & you bottleneck yourself.
  
  If cops can use software to scan every car’s license plate as they drive by, a neighborhood watch should be able to also. How are you going to snatch a kid out of such a neighborhood & get clean away. If your computer talks to the state computer, they can spot stolen tags or invalid tags. Red flags go up. the cops are called. You can work with the police especially if your people are the police.
  In some communities it might be beneficial to be auxiliary police/deputies. Lot hard to t
  
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waspanglosaxon
Posted on January 13, 2013 at 1:02am
What’s wrong with any group of people praying, in prison or elsewhere? If we had more praying in this country and less bombing, we’d all be better off.

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- NOTAMUSHROOM
  Posted on January 13, 2013 at 2:17am
  Depends on what they’re praying for, Mr. Moral equivalency. Duh.
  
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- WildschweinJager
  Posted on January 13, 2013 at 3:19am
  Moondogs, howling to the moon.
  
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- HumbleMan
  Posted on January 13, 2013 at 7:31am
  I don’t care if he prays. Why hasn’t he been hanged? Is there a more clear case of treason?
  
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- kenSt
  Posted on January 13, 2013 at 8:16am
  He is being punished. When being punished you have no rights and you punish by knowing what bad guys want and keep it from them. I know that sounds mid evil although what they did to get there was mid evil wasn’t it. Killing Christians because they wanted to pray in there religion. lets gloss over that. since there is no media talking points to refer to at the moment.
  
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- averageman
  Posted on January 13, 2013 at 8:18am
  Are you for real? Do you have a drivers license? You are a compelling reason for forced sterilization.
  
  Report this comment
- Kupo
  Posted on January 13, 2013 at 8:45am
  KENST, you’re wrong. Even prisoners retain plenty of rights. In fact, some parts of the Bill of Rights are specifically written to protect prisoners; i.e. protection from cruel and unusual punishment.
  
  Report this comment
- PATTY HENRY
  Posted on January 13, 2013 at 10:16am
  @waspanglosaxon : yes, what could possibly be wrong with allowing the ASSEMBLY of our ENEMY and the spreading of their EVIL teachings among the most vulnerable (young, disassociated young men in prison) ? ISLAM is a CULT, not a faith. It’s a political system not a faith. It’s from Satan, not from GOD. Oh, and ISLAM preaches the destruction of anything non-Islamic. Could you really be that shallow? PS BLAZE: What part of not giving this smart-a$$ photo coverage don’t you get. You might want to show the people he killed but not some publicity shot.
  
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- BuggiOlleo
  Posted on January 13, 2013 at 3:42pm
  In Federal Max prison, no more than two can conjugate even if praying on Sunday in a High Security prison…known as triple max. There is more to this story our dear reporter is either failing to report or too lazy to find out details. Federal DOC is no picnic, depending on which one, but some Judge is seeing to the Fed DOC begins its PC BS. The win which WE are not seeing is not being investigated, but if the Lib ACLU is involved, this is definitely a win; now, it will resonate across many Fed Prisons. This is my guess, …we’ll never hear about the others.
  To me, if you know what its like in any DOC, Islam is the quietly growing inside. Check the roster with Farrakhan.
  
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- macpappy
  Posted on January 13, 2013 at 11:58pm
  averageman
  Are you for real? Do you have a drivers license? You are a compelling reason for forced sterilization.
  
  Forced Sterilization…..is a tool of the fascist left. Hitler, and those folks. Thank god you command nothing more than a lazyboy recliner. I bet you think you are a conservative too, don’t you.
  
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paperpushermj
Posted on January 13, 2013 at 12:46am
Transfer them all to prisons around the system to the point of them being the only muslims in their individual cell block.

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- Diane TX
  Posted on January 13, 2013 at 12:55am
  That’s actually a very good idea.
  
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- waspanglosaxon
  Posted on January 13, 2013 at 2:05am
  How about putting them in with Bernie Madoff and a buncha other zionists and see who comes out alive?
  
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neverending
Posted on January 13, 2013 at 12:42am
barry’s minions in there protecting all his buddies and gotta make sure they are fully protected, How I wish barry and his minions were occupying the next cell over.

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barber2
Posted on January 13, 2013 at 12:33am
Why does he have to pray ” in a group of other Muslims?” Don;t these guys usually get restricted access due to the danger to themselves and to others ? This doesn’t make sense. He should be allowed to pray but he should not be allowed to “socialize” if that is not the usual privilege given to a prisoner in his situation. This entire assault on the American constitution and the rights of AMERICAN CITIZENS by these Chicago radicals must be stopped. They have made a farce of our Constitution and the inalienable rights we were given ” by our Creator.”

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- civilwarcometh
  Posted on January 13, 2013 at 1:00am
  And to think now they have the green light from the election to go full steam ahead. They are just getting started. We will be getting a lot more ticked in the month’s to come…This will not end well for anyone..
  
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Grand design
Posted on January 13, 2013 at 12:14am
Throw him in with the general population and end this farce!

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- civilwarcometh
  Posted on January 13, 2013 at 12:33am
  They will sink to no level. Islam is a cult and the left are in bed with it…http://weaselzippers.us/2013/01/12/huffpo-hey-you-know-whos-just-like-george-washington-the-prophet-mohammed/
  
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- macpappy
  Posted on January 14, 2013 at 12:14am
  From where I stand, one is as much the truth as the other. For one to say the other is a cult is to affirm that his is also a cult. Or, can you see that far?
  
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Chromo200
Posted on January 13, 2013 at 12:05am
Lindh is a ding dong .. how can he believe that a “pure Islamic state” led by the Taliban will be anything but a violent one for the people of Afghanistan. Uneducated women, enslaved people, no freedom of speech, growing poppies rather food, beheading people on Sunday afternoon rather than have sports.

And the father is proud that his son wants to destroy the country that allows him such freedoms.

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banjarmon
Posted on January 12, 2013 at 11:41pm
Send those prisoners to the everglades, then we can have a real snake hunt!!!

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The-Monk
Posted on January 12, 2013 at 11:32pm
Didn’t they say their religion was jihad?

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- pwatkins
  Posted on January 13, 2013 at 12:05am
  You got it Monk, that’s what they said, and our president said it was the most beautiful prayer he had ever heard if I remember right..
  
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- Walkabout
  Posted on January 13, 2013 at 12:54pm
  John Lind’s father is discombobulated. He does not connect the religion with jihad because he is infected with liberal ideals.
  
  “We’re proud to live in a country where even someone in John’s position, an inmate in a prison, could get heard in court on the right to pray,” he said. “Today I feel proud to be an American.”
  
  This from a father that left his wife for another guy. A father who probably hates conservative Christians, but is okay with his son joining Islamicists.
  
  Report this comment

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