US prison top chaplain: Clerics advised policy - 13 WTHR Indianapolis

US prison top chaplain: Clerics advised policy

Posted: Updated:
INDIANAPOLIS -

The top chaplain of the U.S. Bureau of Prisons says a policy that American-born Taliban fighter John Walker Lindh claims violates his Muslims beliefs is based on advice from Islamic clerics.

Chief chaplain Michael R. Smith Sr. testified Monday in federal court in Indianapolis that the agency consults with religious leaders before setting policy. However, he says prison policy doesn't recognize religious services if they aren't led by chaplains. He says officials decided group religious services must be supervised following a 2004 report about efforts to radicalize Muslim inmates following 9/11.

The government is defending its policy against a lawsuit filed by Lindh. He claims the policy flouts a 1993 law restraining the government from curtailing religious expression without showing it has a compelling interest.

The trial resumes Tuesday.

(Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

Powered by WorldNow
Links to the FCC website to view WTHR and/or WALV’s on-line public inspection files:
WTHR: https://stations.fcc.gov/station-profile/WTHR   ||   WALV: https://stations.fcc.gov/station-profile/WALV
Individuals with disabilities may contact Jill Pursell at publicfile@wthr.com, or 317.655.5602, for assistance with access to the public inspection files.
Powered by WorldNowAll content © Copyright 2000 - 2013 WorldNow and WTHR. For more information on this site, please read our Privacy Policy and Terms of Service.