Religious Discrimination in Prison Against Shi’a Muslims

After almost 29 years of incarceration, I’ve never been able to freely practice Islam according to the Shi’a beliefs and tenets—like many Shi’a Muslims throughout the North Carolina prison system. More often than not, we’ve experience discrimination from administrators and hatred from the other Islamic sects that at times could be compared to the Jim Crow South during its heyday.

On July 8, 2024, after having four Qur’ans denied and many other religious books rejected by Marion mailroom staff and signed off on by Warden Ben Carson, I decided to fight. (See case no. 5:24-CT-03168 in the United States Federal District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina, Western Division (Raleigh).) The complaint represents the few hundred Shi’a Muslims throughout the North Carolina prison system who have been denied for years a halal diet, while Jewish inmates have been accommodated with a kosher diet.

Not being allowed to pray using a turbah (prostration tablet). Not being allowed to have a separate service from Sunni and Wahhabi Muslims (who have a hatred for Shi’a Muslims and dominate all Islamic services due to their number being twice as many as the Shi’a). While also accommodating other Islamic sects like Nation of Islam, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Church of Latter Day Saints. Not being allowed to wear the aqiq ring during prayer, while the wedding band is allowed to be worn at all times by Christian inmates. Not being allowed to use one’s legal Islamic name on tablet, phone, and mail. Not being allowed a religious diet. Not being allowed to commemorate two of the Shi’a Muslim holy days of Ahsura and Ghadir.

Shi’a Religious Books and Services

Shi’a books purchased by facility chaplains were not included in the budget for Islamic books, magazines, and DVDs—only Sunni books. Shi’a Muslim inmates got their family members to purchase their own books from the likes of Amazon and other vendors, or have books donated to chaplain libraries, only to have the books destroyed and removed by Sunni and Wahhabi Muslim inmates.

As it relates to NCDAC digital religious library available on tablet, not a single Shi’a book is listed—only Sunni and Wahhabi Muslim books are available. Currently and most importantly (due to Friday prayer), Shi’a Muslims don’t have their own services and are forced to attend services with Sunni and Wahhabi Muslim inmates in an unwanted and unwelcome environment often filled with resentment that comes out during the sermon conducted by Sunni and Wahhabi Muslims.

NCDAC Religious Practice Committee recommended that the department accommodate Shi’a Muslims with these things, with the exception of a separate religious service. NCDAC officials have only accommodated Shi’a Muslims with the turbah (prostration tablet) and one of the two religious holidays.

In North Carolina, prison officials out of ignorance have supported and advocated the Sunni belief system over Shia beliefs and practices and currently still do. In their minds, the Islamic program put forth by NCDAC is a general belief system, which is in violation of the establishment clause. The current NCDAC Islamic program ostracizes the Shia Muslim beliefs and practices, and empowers and validates the Sunni Muslim beliefs in their superiority over the Shi’a beliefs and practices—thus helping to fuel a climate of hatred and discrimination.

I subscribe to a new term I coined as anti-Shi’attic behavior, which currently comes from both the Sunnis and prison officials. There are many instances of anti-Shi’attic behavior from both. Prison officials and Sunni Muslim inmates have worked to suppressed Shi’a Muslims from practicing their beliefs.

Religious Discrimination in the Prison System

A recent indecent was on June 13, 2026. After a lawsuit was filed, prison officials agreed to allow all Muslims to commemorate Eid Ghadir (festival of Ali being appointed by God to succeed Muhammad as the spiritual head of the Islamic nation). However, only Shi’a Muslims commemorate this holy day, which chaplaincy staff were fully aware. Before the day of commemoration, a Muslim volunteer sent an email to the Interim Director of Chaplaincy Services, Dr. Rev. Sarah Jobe, a week in advance to make all chaplains and religious coordinators aware of this holy day so arrangements could be made.

Still, this service was not accommodated to most Shi’a Muslims throughout the prison system, even given the fact this same office of chaplaincy services issued a memo a year earlier advising staff and inmates of this service being implemented as a religious accommodation within NCDAC. After my conversation with program staff here, originally the service was not to be had. It was only after another email was sent by a Muslim volunteer that Interim Director Jobe got it accommodated.

Conflict During Friday Prayer

Citing another incident within the last few month, I was asked by the religious coordinator Ms. House if I would lead the Friday prayer service for both the Shi’a and Sunni Muslims. Both are forced to worship together, since the Shi’a haven’t been allowed to have their own services as other states like New York have allowed. As Shi’a, we saw this as another opportunity to try and work with the Sunnis or show what we outlined in our civil complaint about not being able to share a religious service with them.

We had a meeting with Ms. House, and she wanted both a Shi’a and Sunni to conduct the Friday prayer service alternately until she selected one or the other. The other Muslim who was selected was of the Wahhabi sect. This sect harbors extreme hatred toward Shi’a Muslims, and more often than not refuse to pray behind a Shi’a prayer leader. Keep in mind most of the Sunni Muslims within NC prisons are Wahhabi. They have been taught to hate the Shi’a, labelling us innovators and heretics. Some of their books say our blood is lawful. Currently, they being Sunni and the majority are able to elect through a consensus a Sunni who follows the teachings of Wahhabism.

When I entered the facility chapel to conduct the Friday service, I saw that the Wahhabi Muslim (Sunni) was already standing up front clutching the podium. I was under the impression that I was to lead the service, and so did the other Shi’a present. It was clearly apparent that if this wasn’t handled with humility, it could get ugly and violent. So I advised the Shi’a to sit gracefully until the service was complete, and we would inquire as to what was going on.

Once the service was over, we all sat in a circle. I knew only one question needed to be asked, and the wrong response would force me to get up, leave, and beckon the Shi’a to follow to avoid a confrontation between the Shi’a and Sunnis and get the service cancelled. So I asked him, “Are we going to do what Ms. House asked us to do [as it relates to alternating between Shi’a and Sunni] leading the service?” He said, “No! I got this.” I got up and walked out with all of the Shi’a.

Practicing Faith in the Face of Religious Discrimination

Stories like this are common within Shi’a communities in the NC prison system. Our Shi’a religious leaders of the many Shi’a communities around the world teach us that we must be just and merciful toward people. Islam is about good moral conduct even in the face of oppression. Once an individual studies the lives of our 12 holy Imams after Prophet Muhammad, they will truly see the beauty in their behavior even in the face of the worst aggression as well as oppression.

Likewise, it is the lack of understanding of both Shi’a and Sunni Muslim beliefs and practices that would have one believe they can practice Islam together according to their own beliefs. Religious discrimination in prison continues when Shi’a Muslims are denied the ability to practice according to those beliefs.

We the Shi’a in the North Carolina prison system only want to be able to have our own services like other religious groups such as Catholics and Jehovah’s Witnesses, though both profess to be Christian. Or Moorish and Nation of Islam, while both profess to be Muslims or Moslems. To be able to be accommodated with the halal (meat) as the Jewish inmates are accommodated with a kosher (meat) diet. To be able to do religious study in a group under Shi’a teachers. Wear the aqiq ring as Christians wear wedding bands. Use our legal Islamic names on phone calls, tablets, and religious diets.

We need your help and advocacy! Please contact North Carolina’s governor’s office and ask them to look into the rights of Shi’a inmates. Thank you and God bless.