"Those who spend their wealth [in Allah's way] by night and by day, secretly and publicly - they will have their reward with their Lord. And no fear will there be concerning them, nor will they grieve." (Quran, Surah Al-Baqarah, 2:274, translation provided by Quran.com).

Recently, CAIR-Florida was notified of a Muslim Inmate who was not allowed to practice their sincere-held beliefs of praying five times a day as detailed by the one of the five pillars of Islam. The Muslim inmate was not even allowed to prayer five times a day in their dorm. Alhamdulah (thanks to Allah), CAIR-Florida got to work immediately, and notified the warden of the correctional institution about the importance of our Brother being allowed to pray and to cease violating their Constitutional rights. 

Thankfully, the warden agreed to remedy the issue and litigation was avoided. ​ 

The work that CAIR-Florida does for Muslim Inmates:​

1.Advocating to Allow Muslim Inmates to grow a fist-full beard,

2.Pushing for Halal meals, or at the very least in the interim Kosher meals,

3.Providing education to Florida's correctional institutions and jails,

4.Frequent visits to the correctional institutions and jails,

5.A statewide team of Muslim Inmate Advocates, composed mostly of volunteers,

6.Providing Kufis, Qurans, prayer rugs, Islamic literature,

7.Providing a Know Your Rights Information sheet as an Incarcerated Muslim,

8.Public Records Requests,

9.Constant communication with officials at correctional institutions and jails to remedy issues,

10.Connect with Inmates with organizations and individuals who provide re-entry assistance,

11.Ensuring advocacy for Muslim Inmates to be able to attend weekly Jumm'a prayers when needed,

12.Litigation when needed.

*Not an exhausted list of CAIR-FL's services*

Special assistance during Ramadan:​

1.Sent a detailed Ramadan Memo to all of Florida's correctional institutions on ensuring that Muslim Inmates' constitutional right to practice their religion wouldn't be violated,

2.Providing dates to Muslim inmates to break their fast, and

3.Advocating for Ramadan accommodations with the Department of Corrections and the individual correctional institutions.

*Not an exhausted list of CAIR-FL's services*

About CAIR-Florida:

The Council on American-Islamic Relations Florida (CAIR-Florida) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization established in 2001 to challenge stereotypes of Islam and Muslims and defend civil liberties. CAIR-Florida has five offices: Tampa, Sunrise, Orlando, Panama City, and Fort Myers.

The vast majority of CAIR-Florida's work deals with civil rights and anti-defamation. CAIR-Florida and its staff has consistently won praise from elected officials, civic organizations, and the media for its tenacious efforts to combat both discrimination against Muslims and Islamophobia. 

CAIR-Florida's vision is to be a leading advocate for justice and mutual understanding. CAIR-Florida's mission is to enhance the understanding of Islam, protect civil rights, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.

Thank you for reading my LaunchGood, and may Allah bless you and protect you and our families Insha Allah (Allah willingly). Any donation will help and no donation is too small. Please donate and share.

If you ever need our help, please call (833) CAIRFLA or text (813) 531-7761