HMP Brixton bogs turned away from Mecca

[hayduke]

Jail loos turned from East, reports The Sun (http://www.thesun.co.uk/article/0,,2-2006180300,00.html)

After pressure from faith leaders the Home Office has agreed to turn the existing toilets 90 degrees at HMP Brixton so Muslims don't have to face Mecca while pooping

A Brixton jail officer said: “If they didn’t get locked up for committing crime they would not have this problem. Yet we have to sort out their loos. If we weren’t paying for it as taxpayers I’d laugh my socks off.”

Around a quarter of prisoners at the Category B jail are Muslims.

[bluestreak]

heh, what a weird world we live in.

[William of Walworth]

A Brixton jail officer said: “If they didn’t get locked up for committing crime they would not have this problem. Yet we have to sort out their loos. If we weren’t paying for it as taxpayers I’d laugh my socks off.”


A Brixton jail officer that the Sun reporter made up?

[King Biscuit Time]

I would say so.

[waverunner]

Stuff like this fuels BNP support I would imagine :(

[Yossarian]

"It's political correctness gone mad!" :eek:

This is just shit-stirring from the Sun on what must be a very slow news day indeed.

[KeyboardJockey]

The Newham Recorder ran a similar story about 12 years ago when the tower block William White Court was turned into a sheltered housing complex for Asian elders.

Newham council had to rip out all the toilets because they faced Mecca.

Sounds like they've picked up gossip and stuck 'a prison officer said' onto the end of it. Be interesting to hear if there is any comment from the Governor of the prison over this.

[pootle]

Stuff like this fuels BNP support I would imagine :(

Innit just. Nothing in the article I suppose about how all public authorities have a duty under the RRA to treat people in a certain way. Just because they've committed a crime, doesn't mean it's ok to ignore their needs, does it?

It might seem like political correctness gone mad, but it's the little things like this that makes life inside more bearable, and hopefully reduces the number of people killing themselves inside.

I'm sure however, someone will be along soon enough to say "they should have considered their faith before comitting a crime" yada yada yada...

[Stobart Stopper]

This is just shit-stirring
LOL! :D :D

[Yossarian]

Should it be clockwise or counter-clockwise? :D

[KeyboardJockey]

Should it be clockwise or counter-clockwise? :D

Nice One!

A poll a poll I demand a poll!

Question: when you stir the shit do you

a) stir it clockwise
b) anti clockwise
c) wibble

:D

[Dan U]

ha ha that is the funniest thing i've read all day

[detective-boy]

I'm sure however, someone will be along soon enough to say "they should have considered their faith before comitting a crime" yada yada yada...
I sort of read that into the original "quote" ... :rolleyes:

[memespring]

Question: when you stir the shit do you

a) stir it clockwise
b) anti clockwise
c) wibble

:D

How does One wibble? I need details!

[KeyboardJockey]

How does One wibble? I need details!

Wibble the option for compulsive poll voters.

[fanta]

Jail loos turned from East, reports The Sun (http://www.thesun.co.uk/article/0,,2-2006180300,00.html)

After pressure from faith leaders the Home Office has agreed to turn the existing toilets 90 degrees at HMP Brixton so Muslims don't have to face Mecca while pooping

A Brixton jail officer said: “If they didn’t get locked up for committing crime they would not have this problem. Yet we have to sort out their loos. If we weren’t paying for it as taxpayers I’d laugh my socks off.”

Around a quarter of prisoners at the Category B jail are Muslims.

I trust they'll still have the fucking manners to wipe their arses with the left hand...

[memespring]

Wibble the option for compulsive poll voters.

Ah. My mind was in a whole different place. :o

[AnnO'Neemus]

...I'm sure however, someone will be along soon enough to say "they should have considered their faith before comitting a crime" yada yada yada...Funny how they can say, oh, it's haram (prohibited) to face Mecca when on the loo (I'm not actually familiar with that verse in the Qu'ran or Hadith (saying of the Prophet), but overlook the fact it's haram to steal, haram to take drugs, haram to murder, haram to rape, haram to commit anyone of a number of crimes they've been convicted of.

If they want to abide by the letter of the shariah law, then they should be judged by it, i.e. chop off their hand for stealing, death sentence in respect of murder (or blood money paid to the victim's family), stoning to death for adultery for sex outside marriage, i.e. rape, etc. Only fair.

BTW, I'm a muslim.

[Brixton Hatter]

Funny how they can say, oh, it's haram (prohibited) to face Mecca when on the loo (I'm not actually familiar with that verse in the Qu'ran or Hadith (saying of the Prophet), but overlook the fact it's haram to steal, haram to take drugs, haram to murder, haram to rape, haram to commit anyone of a number of crimes they've been convicted of.

If they want to abide by the letter of the shariah law, then they should be judged by it, i.e. chop off their hand for stealing, death sentence in respect of murder (or blood money paid to the victim's family), stoning to death for adultery for sex outside marriage, i.e. rape, etc. Only fair.

BTW, I'm a muslim.
that's an interesting point ann...whether or not you agree with the punishments of sharia law, the point stands... how would a devout muslim in jail reconcile this contradiction to himself?

[TeeJay]

Funny how they can say, oh, it's haram (prohibited) to face Mecca when on the loo (I'm not actually familiar with that verse in the Qu'ran or Hadith (saying of the Prophet), but overlook the fact it's haram to steal, haram to take drugs, haram to murder, haram to rape, haram to commit anyone of a number of crimes they've been convicted of.

If they want to abide by the letter of the shariah law, then they should be judged by it, i.e. chop off their hand for stealing, death sentence in respect of murder (or blood money paid to the victim's family), stoning to death for adultery for sex outside marriage, i.e. rape, etc. Only fair.

BTW, I'm a muslim.This argument doesn't really work: someone can make a mistake (under UK law) and have to pay for it (under UK law) - this doesn't mean that they shouldn't continue with their religious beliefs, nor that these beliefs should not be respected (within reason) as they are for other prisoners. While I am not really sure about the direction of toilets (can't people sit on them sideways or at a slight angle if they really have to?) I don't expect anyone here would say people should be fed food that they wouldn't normally be allowed to eat for example, would they (or example mixing in and cooking meat of various types with all meals)?

Furthermore some people are in prison awaiting trial. In any case is it really true that anyone is arguing (if convicted and they admit their guilt) that they didn't commit crimes or that their crimes were not wrong - just that they don't want to add even more wrong things to the ones they have done already?

I'm not sure exactly how seriously I should be taking this story however. The other thing that I'm wondering about is the 25% Muslim inmates in HMP Brixton figure? Is this really true? Sounds a bit high doesn't it?

[Shippou-Chan]

they could always sit on the toilet backwards

[fanta]

no shit! :D

[Tank Girl]

they could always sit on the toilet backwards
exactly! show a bit of initiative lads :D

moon on a stick, that's what people want these days ;)

[pootle]

And the toilets in question aren't being moved or anything. It's a new block being built, and the position of Mecca will be considered.

[detective-boy]

And the toilets in question aren't being moved or anything. It's a new block being built, and the position of Mecca will be considered.
So, in effect, it's yet another "political-correctness gone mad" non-story, invented by the fucking media. :rolleyes: :rolleyes:

[Minnie_the_Minx]

I'm not sure exactly how seriously I should be taking this story however. The other thing that I'm wondering about is the 25% Muslim inmates in HMP Brixton figure? Is this really true? Sounds a bit high doesn't it?


hm, they were saying in some paper that screws were having trouble with the 25% of muslims in Belmarsh Prison. Wonder if some stories are getting mixed up or if the muslim prison population of London is 25%

[Ol Nick]

And the toilets in question aren't being moved or anything. It's a new block being built, and the position of Mecca will be considered.
Well there's one in Morden and one in Catford. To be honest there are dozens of Meccas in London. The bogs are bound to be pointing towards one of them. Maybe they could point towards the Gala Bingo in Tooting. Surely that wouldn't offend anyone.

[Donna Ferentes]

I knew they were extending the retirement age but I wasn't expecting to see that gag still looking for work.

[isvicthere?]

A Brixton jail officer that the Sun reporter made up?

Like "a source close to" or "a pal". :)