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2001: A Multifaith Odyssey
by
Joseph Romain
Editorial Note: The author relates a story told to him by a Chaplain. Her name and the identity of the Institution have been suppressed to protect everybody's privacy.)
She had been preparing this program for weeks.
The institution had been long overdue for a religious program for Muslim inmates. In the past, Muslims were a vast minority in this rural Correctional Centre. As a committed Multifaith Chaplain, she knew that such a program was long overdue, and somewhat controversial. She had contacted all of the Muslim inmates, worked with an Imam to ensure that the program met the religious requirements, and had ensured that all of the necessary paperwork was ship-shape and duly filed with the management of the institution. Friday, September 14, 2001 would be a day to remember in "Correctional Centre X". By Monday, she felt that everything was in order.
And then, on Tuesday, September 11, as we all know, disaster struck. It seemed as though this program would simply have to wait until tempers cooled, and life returned to some sense of normalcy. On the other hand, she realized that the program was more important now than ever. But this was hardly the week to be pushing for Multifaith accommodation for Muslim inmates; timing is everything and pushing for this program under the current tone of intolerance could be counter productive.
At 13:45 on Friday, her phone rang. It was one of the senior managers of the institution. "What about your Muslim group?" he inquired.
"Will you still allow us to meet?" she asked, expecting the worst.
"I will personally escort them to the Chapel." And he did. A small, sombre parade of faithful Muslims filed into the worship space for devotional practice.
So on Friday, September 14th, 2001, for the first time in the institution's history, Muslim inmates met for Friday prayers.
Joseph Romain is the Manager, Multifaith Information Services, Ontario Multifaith Council on Spiritual and Religious Care
Posted by editor on March 15, 2004 01:45 PM