Muslim prisoners in Quebec face a compounded type of discrimination. There is the usual deprivation of life and freedom that the public expects prisoners to face. However, there is a rigidity of prison life that is wholly unaccommodating to the Muslim faith, and some are saying it is becoming even worse with budget cuts from both federal and provincial governments that take away educational opportunities from prisoners.
Two community organizers are taking things into their own hands with the Eid Card writing initiative for incarcerated Muslims. Local 514 host, Kalden Dhatsenpa speaks to the organizers, Nashwa and Nabeela who have taken on efforts to spread awareness and raise funds for this unspoken issue.
They talk about Islamophobia in Québec’s institutions, the broader global uses of prisons to stifle racialized and Indigenous communities, as well as the reception of their initiative by these prisoners.
