Held in Cook County Jail for the last two months because he could not afford to meet the bail, the Muslim father of four observed most of the holy month of Ramadan behind bars.
Then last week, his faith community set him free. On Friday, he will mark the end of the monthlong fast and celebrate Eid al-Fitr reunited with his family.
As part of a campaign called Believers Bail Out, more than 1,900 donors have raised more than $100,000 to free Muslims awaiting trial at Cook County Jail. The pilot program is in its infancy, with only one inmate freed, but organizers say it is just a start, with plans to expand the campaign to other states, including Massachusetts and Connecticut.
The effort has served to galvanize the Muslim community around a broader push in the United States to curb a prison population that remains the highest in the world, despite declines in recent years. It has been a rare source of agreement for conservative and liberal advocates and has gained momentum in other religious circles as well.
“Bail out is the tactic, it’s not the endgame,” said Su’ad Abdul Khabeer, 39, a founder of the campaign. “The endgame is to get rid of money bonds and mass incarceration. This is one way to immediately help people, but to get the broader Muslim community more deeply engaged with the issues around mass incarceration.”
During Ramadan, expected to end as early as Friday after a sighting of the new moon, Muslims are expected to abstain from eating and drinking during daylight hours as a sign of patience and piety. They also are encouraged to step back from their daily routines and focus on "zakat,” or charity. Organizers spent the last 29 days hosting teach-ins and iftars to raise awareness about the struggle for detainees who can’t afford the money bonds required to go back to their jobs or families before their trials. According to the Maryland-based Pretrial Justice Institute, more than 60 percent of people in U.S. jails have not yet been to trial. About 90 percent of them remain there because they can’t afford their bail.
“Islam as a tradition has this idea of justice embedded in it,” Khabeer said. “Quran talks about standing up for justice even against yourselves. We have a responsibility to respond to that. Thinking of zakat in this way, particularly in our context here in the United States, really is compelling for folks.”
According to the Maryland-based Pretrial Justice Institute, more than 60 percent of people in U.S. jails have not yet been to trial. About 90 percent of them remain there because they can’t afford their bail.
Read rest here
Comments powered by CComment