Muslim files complaint after Kamloops jail told him to use a towel as a prayer mat
KAMLOOPS – A Muslim man has filed a human rights complaint alleging the staff at the Kamloops jail refused to allow him to practise his religion while he was behind bars.
Andrew Monnette, 25, claims officials from Kamloops Regional Correctional Centre would not give him access to a halal diet, a Qur’an or a prayer mat — instead offering him a towel as a stand-in.
Monnette is asking the B.C. Human Rights Tribunal to make an order that inmates of all faiths be allowed to access to their religious materials. He is also asking that he be compensated for “significant anxiety” he claims to have experienced at the jail.
He alleges in his complaint to the tribunal that discrimination against him began in April 2014, when he was in the centre awaiting trial on a string of assault and firearms charges, and continued until his transfer to a Prince George jail last December.
Monnette — who converted to Islam several years ago while serving time — claims he was told to "prove it" when he informed jail officials of his religion, and one employee told him he was lying about being Muslim because he is white.
He said he contacted an imam he knew from a federal jail in the Lower Mainland and was eventually provided with a Qur’an, prayer beads and a prayer mat.
"I was allowed to have the Qur’an and the prayer beads, but was told that I could not have the prayer mat because, 'If other inmates see it, they will want to become Muslim, too,'" the complaint states.
"I was told that I could use a towel as a substitute."
Monnette said he appealed to jail staff on a number of levels to be allowed to use his prayer mat and was met with a number of terse replies: "Not sure what this pray mat is, claims he is Muslim," "Use your towel, complaint resolved" and "Elaborate, decorated prayer mats will not be allowed on the living unit."
Copies of those appeal documents are attached to Monnette’s complaint against BC Corrections.
"Islam is important to me and has changed me a lot," the complaint reads.
"I credit all my personal and interpersonal gains to it. It has opened my eyes to how my actions hurt myself and others."
BC Corrections has not yet filed a response and none of the allegations have been tested in court.
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28 responses
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Sorry to admit this but we have created this man out of our own stupidity and there is going to be more if we do not do some thing now to correct this problem. By allowing these people to use our way of life to defend the way they live is at the heart of the situation and we must stop it now. My guess is he is not any religion but can get what he wants so why not!
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If you want your prayer mat stay out of jail.I worship Winnie the Pooh but would not be allowed to bring my stuffed teddy bear into prison.This is the thin edge of the wedge…….Next the Christians will want their sacrificial wine allotment…..
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break the law, do the time.don, t use religion as a excuse.if you or anyone else don, t like it , yemen will take you.
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Well if I ever end up in there I hope they can bring me a confession box and a pew to pray on ,, give it up guy dosent get you any brownie points ,, you did the dirty deed now you have to pay for it like any other CANADIAN…
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It’s these little things that they start with and then their demands get bigger and bigger and before we know it we are living in their world.They start their demands using religion as the ploy.Say no and keep saying NO.
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Bad enough that we have to pay to keep you incarcerated all your privelidges all went out the door when you broke the law enjoy your stay.
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He wouldn’t have to worry about his religious needsif he would stay out of jail, as far as I am concerned you should have no rights to anything once you go to jail, you are put there for crimes committed, not for a holiday, he hasn’t learned much if he knew a fellow inmate from the lower mainland, guess he’s been there before and never learned from the last time he was in jail, I say “suck it up princess…”, you did the crime now do the time and quit crying around about how your wants weren’t attended too!
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I don’t care what religion you are. Jail is jail and you should get nothing but your 3 meals and a roof. Nothing more.
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Wow…..just wow…..and there is nothing else our courts system has to do? and I agree…don’t do stuff that lands you in jail and you won’t have to cry about not getting your way…..
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You are all forgetting that sadly there is far too much law and way too little justice in this country and that the BC Human Rights Commission is one of the worst offenders. Don’t be surprised if his complaint is upheld. Criminals often have their “rights” protected at the expense of law abiding citizens.
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News flash fucktard YOUR IN PRISON! It’s not a fucking country club retard! Hola shit I cannot he’s that stupid!
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Islam is not compatible with the western way of life, freedom of speech, women’s rights,freedom of religion, separation from religion and government are all frowned upon and outlawed in most Islamic countries not by coincidence but because they follow the same book that is basically anti western.
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its actually quite unnecessary, id go as far to say its a cult with a huge following.
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immigrant or immigrants son that doesn’t seem to agree with our laws or way of life, what are you doing here then? maybe he should have been deported to Afghanistan, I’m sure they treat Muslims accordingly there. when in rome do like the romans or GTFO.
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suck it up buttercup…..that is a real jail and this is the real world….a towel will do.
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Islam…hasn’t change you one bit…you are in jail and therefore you forfeited your rights……
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… in jail for a reason , expecting normal treatment , give your head a shake and man up , when you are out and free then pray the way you want …. in the words of one Archie bunker ” meathead” …..
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I’m all for freedom of religion but I have no use for people who break the law.Perhaps this so called religious man is using it to mask his unlawful lifestyle?He claims that Islam has changed him?What it is teaching him to break the law more?Obviously it did not change him for the better if he is still ending up in jail.
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Well damn…Didn’t know the mat was all that important…Just that you had to be separated from the ground.
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