Muslim prisoners divided in Britain's biggest jail

By Staff
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Google Oneindia News

London, Nov 21 (UNI) Muslim inmates in the biggest British prison have become rivals creating a potentially explosive situation over the interpretation of the Koran, prison watchdogs said.

Deep divisions among Muslims in Wandsworth jail developed after the appointment of an imam with particular views of the Koran's teachings. Some Muslim inmates in southwest London are also pressurising fellow Muslim prisoners to adopt more militant beliefs and lifestyle.

The disclosures will fuel fears that attempts are being made to radicalise young Muslims held in jails in England and Wales.

According to a report published yesterday the row over the interpretation of the Koran had inflamed emotions among inmates.

''The situation is volatile. It is being resolved. It concerns the way the Koran is interpreted within the Sunni Muslim sect. It is not a row between Sunni and Shia Muslims,'' said David Jamieson Chairman of the jail's independent monitoring board.

He said that a full-time imam had been appointed in September and that work involving the Prison Service's Muslim adviser had been undertaken to resolve the problem, with a rising numbers of Muslims in jail.

Plans to erect screens to conceal religious symbols are not considered by some prisoners to provide the exclusivity that they want.

The report also discloses that inherent tensions among Muslims are exacerbated because they have to walk through the Christian chapel to reach their place of worship. It called for an adequate number of prison officers to be present at all religious services to discourage illegal activities.

Home Office research has suggested that drug-dealing is taking place during religious services, with inmates attending both Church of England and Roman Catholic services to deal in contraband.

Mr Jamieson said that prisoners were using mobile phones smuggled into the prison to arrange their supplies of drugs. Board members raised concerns about a 'major influx' of drugs and mobile phones in the jail. Drugs were 'slipping through the net' when new inmates arrived at the jail, especially remand prisoners, the report said.

It found that the use of dogs to detect drugs was almost non-existent and that even visitors were asking why more was not being done to tackle the problem of drugs in the jail.

''Signs of radicalisation are firmly dealt with by a proactive chaplaincy team,'' said a Prison Service spokeswoman.

The recent Eid meal at Wandsworth was attended by all the 240 Muslim prisoners alongwith a number of non-Muslims, during which the imam was personally praised.

Of the about 1,400 prisoners in Wandsworth jail, 265 are Muslims, the most in any jail in England&Wales.

UNI XC MQA DB1844

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