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The Intersection of Islamophobia and Anti-Blackness Within US Prisons:

A deep dive into one incident of brutality against incarcerated men in Missouri, and the pattern it reveals

In February of 2021, a group of Muslim men incarcerated at a Missouri prison was violently pepper sprayed and brutalized while gathered to pray in the common area—for no other reason than the fact that they were praying. This incident, while harrowing, was not isolated. Rather, it is emblematic of the twin pillars of anti-Black racism and Islamophobia that undergirds so much violence within prisons, as well as the inhumanity of the prison system overall. We hosted a panel discussion on Wednesday, April 17th to discuss this incident, and the anti-Blackness and Islamophobia that incites similar violence within prisons. Panelists included Reggie (Qadir) Clemons, one of the men who was assaulted; Ronnie Amiyn, a Muslim man who was formerly incarcerated in Missouri; Rami Nsour, founding director of the Tayba Foundation; Kimberly Noe-Lehenbauer, Esq, from the Council on American-Islamic Relations and representing the men who were assaulted; and Jen Marlowe, founder of Donkeysaddle Projects who investigated and reported on the incident for Al Jazeera English. The panel was moderated by maya finoh from the Center for Constitutional Rights.