(Times-UK) Richard Ford - The Chief Inspector of Prisons, Dame Anne Owers, warned last week that some convicted criminals are converting to Islam in order to receive benefits only available to practicing Muslims and to gain the protection of powerful Muslim gangs. The number of Muslim prisoners in the UK has risen dramatically from 2,513 in 1994, or 5% of the population, to 9,795 in 2008, or 11%. All prisons offer a halal menu, which some inmates see as better than the usual choices. Some converts admitted that they had changed faith because they got more time out of the cells to go to Friday prayers. In some of the most secure jails, the size of the Muslim population is well above average. Two years ago, Muslim inmates accounted for a third of prisoners in Whitemoor, Cambridgeshire, and a quarter of inmates in Long Lartin in Worcestershire. Inmates convert after learning about Islam from other inmates, to obtain support and protection in a group with a powerful identity and for material advantages. One inmate said: "I've got loads of close brothers here. They share with you, we look out for each other."
2010-06-16 07:24:35Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive