Muslims In Spanish Prisons
This is my eleventh article in the series Prison Islam. In most of the civilized world, although Muslims are small in number, they are over-represented in the prison system.
As so it is in Spain where although Muslims are only 2.3% of the population (1) they represent 70% of the prison population (2).
According to Islamic Commission of Spain and Ministry of Justice reports in 2009, about 72% of all Muslims in Spain are immigrants without Spanish nationality (3). These Muslims do not have any connections to Spain's culture, nor do they feel they want to belong to Spanish society. They live in segregated communities that encourage behavior that runs completely counter to Spanish values. And now with a bad economy there will only be even more Muslims committing crimes.
Now one may think that putting Muslims in prison solves the crime problem. Actually it increases the possibility of terrorism. The way it works is this: get enough Muslims into a prison and soon they will demand a visiting imam. The imam, while counseling and administering to the religious needs of moderate Muslims, exposes them to radical Islamic ideas. I covered this in my article Black Muslims a greater threat than al-Qaeda where I noted that the chief Muslim chaplain In New York was found to be recruiting terrorists for al-Qaeda.
In the past few years the European Union has developed counter-radicalization strategies to disrupt terrorist activities including limiting the activities of those inciting terrorism in prisons (4).
Islamic Radicalism among its prisoners is a major concern in Spain as well: Prison officers have been using a manual, which is stamped confidential, on how to detect and control radical Islamism within prisons. (5)
This is what happens when you allow into your country a group who will not integrate, cannot assimilate, who view the host country's values with contempt and disgust, who refuse to learn the national language and whose devout members believe that in the end the country must come under the rule of a world caliphate.
ENDNOTES
(1):
World Muslim Population, Muslim Population of Europe
Country Total Muslim Muslim Population Percentage Population in Millions in Millions Albania 3.2 79.9 % 2.56 Andorra 0.1 0.1 % 0.00 Austria 8.4 5.7 % 0.48 Belarus 9.5 0.2 % 0.02 Belgium 11 6 % 0.66 Bosnia Herzegovinian 3.8 44 % 1.67 Bulgaria 7.5 12.2 % 0.92 Channels Islands 0.2 1 % 0.002 Croatia 4.4 3 % 0.13 Czech Republic 10.5 0.5 % 0.05 Denmark 5.6 4.1 % 0.23 Estonia 1.3 0.7 % 0.01 Finland 5.4 0.8 % 0.04 France 63.3 9.6 % 6.08 Germany 81.8 5 % 4.09 Greece 11.3 4.7 % 0.53 Hungary 10 0.2 % 0.02 Iceland 0.3 0.2 % 0.00 Ireland 4.6 0.5 % 0.02 Italy 60.8 2.6 % 1.58 Kosovo 2.3 90 % 2.07 Latvia 2.2 0.45 % 0.01 Liechtenstein 0.04 4.8 % 0.00 Lithuania 3.2 0.1 % 0.00 Luxembourg 0.5 2.6 % 0.01 Macedonia 2.1 34.9 % 0.73 Malta 0.4 0.2 % 0.00 Moldova 4.1 0.5 % 0.02 Monaco 0.04 0.5 % 0.00 Montenegro 0.6 18.5 % 0.11 Netherlands 16.7 5.5 % 0.92 Norway 5 3 % 0.15 Poland 38.2 0.13 % 0.045 Portugal 10.7 0.6 % 0.06 Romania 21.4 0.3 % 0.06 Russia 142.8 19 % 27.13 San Marino 0.03 0 % 0.00 Serbia 7.3 3.2 % 0.23 Slovakia 5.4 0.1 % 0.01 Slovenia 2.1 2.4 % 0.05 Spain 46.2 2.3 % 1.06 Sweden 9.4 4.9 % 0.46 Switzerland 7.9 5 .7 % 0.45 Ukraine 45.7 1 % 0.46 United Kingdom 62.7 4.6 % 2.88
(2):
WikiIslam, Muslim Statistics (Population)
Muslims serving jail sentences in Spanish jails will now be allowed to say their prayers in congregation, provided at least ten of them expressed their wish to do so. The aim of the new ruling is to bring about equality of treatment between Muslim prisoners and Catholic interns in their religious rights.
The largest Islamic organization in the country, the Islamic Committee of Spain, has welcomed this initiative, taking into account that 70 percent of those in Spanish jails are Muslims, who number around 54,000.
(3):
U.S. Department of State, Spain Page 2 [PDF]
(4):
Congressional Research Service, Muslims in Europe: Promoting Integration and Countering Extremism - Page 41 [PDF]
(5):
Biyokulule Online, 30 Dec 2008, Spanish Prison Administration Delivers Secret Manual To Curb Jihadism in Prisons
For several months now, a selected group of prison officers have been using a manual, which is stamped confidential, on how to detect and control radical Islamism within prisons. The manual, to which Europa Press (Spanish news agency) has had access, gives a detailed account of the changes of attitude and features inherent to the radicalization processes, compiles the key expressions used by jihadists, and gives precise orders to check prison cells, audio devices, and books.
In order to detect radical Islamists who have, however, been imprisoned for minor offences, the manual insists on the importance of knowing their background, because jihadists usually have precedents in their families, have usually visited various European countries, and, on certain occasions, have fought in various wars. If a prison officer finds a scar during a frisk and thinks that the prisoner was injured in Chechnya, Bosnia, or Afghanistan, he must photograph it and brief the prison warden. If a cell was wallpapered with holy texts, prison officers should follow the same procedure.
