02-12-2007, 03:27 AM
http://au.news.yahoo.com/070211/2/12dwz.html
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Monday February 12, 08:04 AM
<b>Muslim wins compo over jail diet ruling</b>
<b>A child sex-offender</b> has won a discrimination case against the Queensland government because he was denied food prepared in accordance with Muslim religious laws and fed vegetables, nuts and tinned meat.
In a ruling the government fears could trigger an avalanche of claims from other prisoners denied special dietary requests, the Supreme Court found Sharif Mahommed, who was sentenced to eight years imprisonment in 2000, had been discriminated against.
He will be allowed to keep $2000 in compensation and not pay for tens of thousands of dollars in legal bills spent to defend his case, The Australian reports.
Mahommed is now out of prison and said he suffered stress and lost weight while behind bars because he was denied fresh halal meat.
He blamed prison authorities for their "lack of knowledge in understanding my religious beliefs, poor training skills, coupled with a no-care and negative attitude to inmates in general", the court was told.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Monday February 12, 08:04 AM
<b>Muslim wins compo over jail diet ruling</b>
<b>A child sex-offender</b> has won a discrimination case against the Queensland government because he was denied food prepared in accordance with Muslim religious laws and fed vegetables, nuts and tinned meat.
In a ruling the government fears could trigger an avalanche of claims from other prisoners denied special dietary requests, the Supreme Court found Sharif Mahommed, who was sentenced to eight years imprisonment in 2000, had been discriminated against.
He will be allowed to keep $2000 in compensation and not pay for tens of thousands of dollars in legal bills spent to defend his case, The Australian reports.
Mahommed is now out of prison and said he suffered stress and lost weight while behind bars because he was denied fresh halal meat.
He blamed prison authorities for their "lack of knowledge in understanding my religious beliefs, poor training skills, coupled with a no-care and negative attitude to inmates in general", the court was told.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->