Salaamedia interviews a member of the Muslim prison board – my response.

It seems to me that not all but some of our moulanas have become masters in deception in order to deflect the truth. Allow me to set the record straight. The open letter that was sent to me was written collectively by the prisoners at Medium B. A copy of this letter was also handed over to the prison management. Feel free to contact any of the following people inside the prison who will verify this, Area Commissioner Luckyboy Mathiba (011) 933 7006, the head of the prison Samuel mahlangu at (011) 933 7113/4 or the Deputy Director Hendrik Kroukamp at (011) 933 7111. This now settles the first comment that since the letter was not signed with an official stamp, it’s possible that anyone could have written the letter in order to malign the supposed good work by the Muslim Prison board. I find it really ironic that the executive members of the prison board come on radio talking about the happenings inside the prison and yet none of the prisoners I interviewed actually met these executive members in person. Apart from visiting the prison management occasionally they do not visit the prisoners or interact with them personally. So this equates to a person running a big company but not knowing the target market or understanding the needs and wants of the clientele you providing a service to.

In an interview that was conducted on radio Islam during the month of Ramadhaan, a member of the Muslim Prison Board stated on air quite proudly and clearly that the MPB facilitates basic Islamic education within the prisons. Subsequently, the same MPB member and his counterpart in a recent interview on Salaamedia stated that the role of the MPB is merely Islaah, that is to reform by encouraging prisoners to be good. This concept of Islaah works hand in hand with acquiring Islamic education in my opinion. You can’t tell someone to be a good Muslim, if they are reverts and do not know how to be a good Muslim. The situation inside is such a sad state of affairs that as per the amir in medium A there aren’t enough prayer mats and books to learn about Islam. “We only have 1 kitabu salaah which was brought by my wife. So please tell me sister, how will over 200 Muslim inmates share one book”. Whilst listening to the radio Islam interview, I was in stitches of laughter at how the member of the MPB created a very rosy fairy tale scenario of how prisoners are treated during the month of Ramadhaan, a far cry from the actual reality. He spoke about prisoners breaking fast together in fasting cells, praying taraweeh etc, absolute hogwash. During the month of Ramadhaan prisoners are allowed hampers of tea, coffee etc that they can use for iftaar and sahoor. This year the prisoners only received a few boxes of dates on 2 occasions and their own families put money in their accounts to purchase other items from the prison shop. Those prisoners who have family that can afford to give them more money then purchase groceries from the shop and share with the other prisoners who get no visitors. In Ramadhaan inmates now get a warm meal at fatoor due to the fact that the prisoners themselves took the prison management to court for violating their rights as per the prison policy. Again the MPB was not a part of this initiative. Medium C does not have fasting cells. Prisoners still remain in their own cells with their roommates during the month of Ramadhaan. There is no taraweeh in congregation or breaking fast together. Medium B and A has a fasting cell where all prisoners gather and this is due to the fact that the prisoners at Medium B took the prison management to court and won the case. I have documented evidence of this. Again the MPB was not involved in this process. (“Slmz. Im writing regarding the prison conditions and would rather not touch on the subject of indian muslims coz thats another topic for another day. I visit the prison every month for the past 2 and a half year coz soneone very dear to me is incarcerated there. The reason for his incarceration is not important but i can comment there is no food for iftaar or sehri provided by any islamic institution during ramadaan. The lunch time food is kept by the prisoners for iftaar and the bread n tea they receive for supper is eaten at sehri. Our muslim counterparts are forgotten during these times. May Allah grant them sabr and allow us to remember all muslims in our duas. I am going again on sunday and if this brother is at sun city as it is called. I will glady pay him a visit if he wishes. Thank you for posting his letter. May Allah reward you for all your efforts. Ameen” )

On air, the prison board member stated that Muslim spiritual care workers are only allowed access to prisoners once a week. What he forgot to say is that they also allowed access for Juma prayers weekly. If indeed only one visit is allowed, why are there different rules for Muslims as opposed to other denominations who I know for a fact visit for longer than one hour and more than once a week. One now wonders whether Muslims are being discriminated against or is the MPB misrepresenting the facts. I make the claim of the latter on the basis of knowing that at some prisons, Muslim SCW enter many times per week, at times daily such as in Barberton during Ramadhaan. I need to state on record though that Currently at Medium B Brother Mahmood goes once a month (I don’t blame him as he is old) and at Leeukop Medium C Moulana Ebrahim visits roughly once every 3 months. Why the deception, why not say we have a problem with volunteers and use the publicity to ask for help?

In the first Salaam media interview conducted just before eid ul fitr, the prison board member stated that Juma is conducted in all prisons weekly by spiritual care workers. This is not the case. At Medium B Jumu3a is performed only once a month and I was quite shocked to hear on national radio how Moulanas manipulate and change fatwas and rulings to suit them. On air, the prison board member stated that they cannot dictate and tell moulanas to go to the prison and perform the Jumu3a prayers as it is supposedly a very bad and sad environment to be in. According to some scholars Juma prayers is not compulsory for those who are incarcerated. Well folks from my observation, not all but most theologians want to be stationed in posh affluent areas and be seen hanging out with the who’s who of society. The real dawah work that must be carried out in informal settlements and within prisons is being totally overlooked and ignored. How do you make a revert Muslim understand Islam if you do not show them how to make salaah, how to perform Juma etc etc etc? It’s an absolute joke. If the prison board is struggling to hire full time aalims to carry out this task due to financial reasons then we need to be asking ourselves, why is million of rand sent to other countries especially during the month of Ramadhaan when we have serious issues at our doorstep that needs to be dealt with. Mufti Ridha ul Haq visited the prison a few years ago, he issued a fatwa and stated that Juma prayers must be performed in all sections of the prison. . Is it not prudent, vital in fact, to perfom Jummuah where the policy allows for it and allows the inmates the freedom to perform Jummuah? 

With regards to the consent form that the family members of Muslim inmates need to sign in order to log the prisoner as a Muslim on the system, this form was created by the MPB and not the prison management. I have seen forms filled out by men in their 30’s, 40’s that have been rejected by their family members. In other words if the family members do not sign the form the prisoner is not considered a Muslim inmate and is denied all rights pertaining to a Muslim inmate. This is definitely unconstitutional in my opinion and needs to be investigated. On air, the prison board member stated that this only applies to juveniles or people under the age of 18. This is a lie. Muslim inmates within the prison are of the opinion that this form was created to absolve the MPB from their duties and responsibilities. If the family members do not sign the form , the MPB members can then turn around and say, “ sorry, you are not our responsibility. We cannot assist you.”

At the end of the day it is evident that there are major issues that still need to be addressed. Interviews and posts create much needed awareness but debating them is not the solution. MPB should meet with the prisoners on the ground, face to face, hear their challenges on the ground and proactively address the issues. As they use various platforms to share their good work they should also use them to explain challenges and seek assistance. Their mission and goals are noble but much effort from all spheres is required to make it a reality. That ultimately is all I am trying to achieve.

The Trials and tribulations of Muslim inmates in South African prisons - Part 2

A few weeks ago I posted a letter from a prisoner and the contents of that letter was undoubtedly thought provoking. There were many people who agreed with what was stated and of course for some it struck a nerve. Subsequently, Salaamedia ran a program hosted by Mr. Ashraf Garda . He was in conversation with Ml Namatumba from the Muslim prison board. As I did not agree with what was being stated on air, I called in to voice my opinion based on my observations and interactions with prisoners and their families over a 2 year period? I want to state on record that following my on air discussion on Salaamedia, my details were given to Ml Namatumba who stated that he will contact me and perhaps even meet at the prison to discuss the way forward. I am yet to hear from him. In today’s post I will prove to you, that the majority of Muslim inmates inside the Johannesburg prison are disappointed with the lack of dedication on the part of the Muslim prison board as stated in a letter that was sent to me a few days ago by the Muslim inmates residing at Medium B. This letter was forwarded to the jamiat at the following email address info@jamiatsa.org a few days ago and was resent again yesterday morning. I am yet to receive a response or an acknowledgement of receipt of the email. Ml. Namatuba stated on air, that Al Tawheed (they were doing a great job) withdrew their services from the Johannesburg prison as one of their members was attacked by a prisoner. This is absolute hogwash in my opinion. Why would an entire organization simply withdraw their services over one isolated incident? Did this incident even occur as no one inside the prison is able to confirm if this is what transpired? I find it strange that the prisoner or prisoners only attacked members of the Al Tawheed organization and spared the lives of the Christian Pastors. As a woman visiting the prison alone regularly I can state on record that I have not once felt intimidated in any way by any prisoner. I have chatted to convicted rapists, murderers and fraudsters face to face not separated by any burglar bars and I did not feel threatened at all. The responsibility of the Muslim Prison board is to rehabilitate Muslim inmates so that when they do come out of prison they are productive members of society. How are they doing this? What systems do they have in place? What syllabus do they have in place regarding Islam and Islamic studies? Sending an aalim for an hour once a week to meet some inmates, performing Juma prayers once a month or occasionally is NOT helping the rehabilitation process at all. I am also aware of the fact that there are individuals who are trying their best to support and assist the prisoners where they can in their own personal capacities and may Allah reward them in abundance for their noble actions but they need help. They need assistance. They cannot carry out this mammoth task alone. There isn’t a proper system or program that’s in place unlike Christian organizations like Kairos that have an excellent system in place with regards to rehabilitation. If the Muslim prison board is being run inefficiently due to a lack of funding, then the question we should be asking ourselves is this, why are we pledging millions of rand to other countries when we cannot attend to the rights of fellow Muslims and other human beings right at our doorstep? Charity begins at home first. A proper organization needs to be set up where aalims are employed and paid to carry out dawah wok inside the prisons. Social workers and lawyers need to be a part of this team as well. There are many inmates who want to study through online correspondence universities to improve themselves but they are unable to as they do not have access to the internet. Some are studying through Unisa but the lack of internet access to acquire information makes the entire study process quite a tedious task. This is where the lawyers would step in asking the court to grant the prisoners limited access to the internet for study purposes only. There are inmates convicted of crimes they have not committed and hence they too require the assistance of a lawyer to overturn their sentences. If the board is being run inefficiently due to poor leadership then the powers that be need to step in to bring about positive changes. Sitting on a board comes with responsibilities and if you are unable to do justice to the position you are in then you need to step down and make way for people who can implement changes. My colleague had quite an insightful discussion with a senior member of the Kairos organization and this is what we have established. “Kairos volunteers go into prisons in teams of 30 to 40 to pray, share the love and forgiveness of Jesus Christ, share meals, and fellowship with the incarcerated on a one-to-one basis. The first visit is a three-day event ( like an ijtima- prisoners reside in tents), during which time the team teaches a short introductory course on Christianity. Subsequent visits are monthly half-day reunions with the prisoners over a twelve-month period in addition to weekend programs for all Christian inmates. The inmates also have access to one on one counseling sessions. Kairos Outside provides spiritual healing to families of the incarcerated, who often feel that they too are “doing time”. Spouses, parents and other relatives of prisoners meet with the teams of Kairos volunteers to share their faith and gain strength from Christian community. Families are counseled to re accept the offender after the full term of sentencing has been served. Kairos Torch provides a ministry to youthful offenders, the most rapidly growing segment of the prison system. Once an offender is released from prison, the organization assists in finding a suitable job for the person so that they can be reintegrated into society as productive human beings putting their pasts behind them. Volunteers many of whom are students assist with baking cookies and making food which is distributed during the retreat program that usually occurs a few times during the year. Some prisoners start their own ministries, pastor churches, whilst others run re-entry programs, and become mentors.” This entire system is lacking when it comes to the Muslim Prison Board. But why is it lacking? Every year we have so many aalims graduating from the various Islamic institutes across the country. These aalims should be made to do an internship or a community service for a year inside South African prisons rehabilitating and teaching prisoners not only about Islam but how to read and write. The Muslim Prison Board can implement the exact same model as Kairos, but the question is why isn’t it being done? With regards to the letter below, the one point that totally shocked me and saddened me was the fact that last week a Muslim inmate passed away. The Muslim Prison Board was contacted to assist with the burial process. They promised to send someone. No one went. According to the prisoners at Medium B, when they called again they were told that Sheikh Nasif has bronchitis and is hospitalized and so no one can come out to assist. The body was eventually taken away by the government mortuary and then handed over to the deceased’s family. They were well aware that the prisoner was a Muslim following the Islamic faith and didn’t mind him being buried as a Muslim. The dilemma they faced was not knowing how to do a Muslim burial. Eventually they managed to get assistance and the person was buried 4 days later. To be honest I had sleepless nights thinking about this situation. It is bothering me. Why is this happening? Why are we allowing it to happen? Why aren’t these issues being addressed? In closing, I humbly request the Jamiat and the Muslim Prisons Board to respond to the grievances stipulated by the prisoners at Johannesburg prison. Upholding the rights of prisoners is a very important aspect of the Islamic faith as pointed out by the Prophet Muhammed (saw) and I hope and pray that a positive stance will come out of this post in the interest of the community at large. Remember ,these prisoners will one day be a part of society once again and if we don’t rehabilitate them properly inside prison by teaching them skills and molding them into kind, caring and productive members of society, we only have ourselves to blame if they default and commit more crimes once they are out of prison. There needs to be a support structure put into place for prisoners who are out on parole. They need to be in a stable job etc etc etc and all of this forms part of the duties of the Muslim prisons board. Everything that I have stated in this post pertains to Johannesburg correctional services also known as Sun city. What is happening in other prisons, I am not aware of and cannot comment until I conclude my investigations in other prison facilities. I will leave you with a few comments that were made in my previous post that concurs with what is mentioned in the letter below. I trust and hope that a positive outcome will be reached. 

“Im a specialisee criminal law attorney . Last ramzan there was a moulana that lectured in a mosque in a certain place in north west. He told us his the head of prison board in joburg . I asked him that we there are muslims that need desperate help in some serious criminal cases where from the case dockets they are on the face of it seen to be innocent. I can as a muslim help and not charge my fee. What i need is if a council is appointed to pay them . I think it is more important to release innocent people also. He didn’t really take me serious. Disgrace even those that are sentenced we must take care of them.”

“Well I can say to you is in the time I sat in the prison I refused to partake of any of their food as being involved in the livestock trade and on the point of halaal meat being cut I can clearly say that the cut meat supplied as halaal at the kurgersdorp prison was undoubtedly not halaal as I personally know and knew the person who had the contract in bosasas time to supply the meat there were times we cut out cattle at a certain place and yes when I say place I mean backdoor cutting because sending the cattle to the abbitours doesn't work out profitable as you loose money instead of making money and the said person was a non Muslim and he had his own workers who used to slaughter the cattle when I came to know that he had the contact and I got the facts I made it a point to slaughter the cattle whilst I was there slaughtering my own cattle but unfortunately I couldn't be there all the time to slaughter all the cattle that was going to bosasa and thus why I say the halaal issue is yes indeed a serious problem in the prisons and needs serious attention I agree with you on this point”

“Slmz. Im writing regarding the prison conditions and would rather not touch on the subject of indian myslims coz thats another topic for another day. I visit the prison every month for the past 2 and a half year coz soneone very dear to me is incarcerated there. The reason for his incarceration is not important but i can comment there is no food for iftaar or sehri provided by any islamic institution during ramadaan. The lunch time food is kept by the prisoners for iftaar and the bread n tea they receive for supper is eaten at sehri. Our muslim counterparts are forgotten during these times. May Allah grant them sabr and allow us to remember all muslims in our duas. I am going again on sunday and if this brother is at sun city as it is called. I will glady pay him a visit if he wishes. Thank you for posting his letter. May Allah reward you for all your efforts. Ameen”