Muslim Prison Ministry: Hindering the Spread of the Radical, Militant, Violent and Irreconcilable Wing of Islam

摘要

Prisons and detention centers are recruiting grounds for radical Islamists. Unfortunately, the National Military Strategic Plan for the War on Terrorism Campaign Plan is not a sufficient enough strategy to hinder the conversion of detainees into terrorists. However, addressing violent Islamic ideology at the grass roots level may decrease the number of terrorists recruited and increase the number of Muslims favoring a nonviolent interpretation of the Qur'an. The author recommends reducing terrorist recruitment through an anti-violent Islamic ministry program that educates detainees and prisoners through Muslim clerics. This indirect approach focuses on conflict resolution and relies on Muslims who reject a violent interpretation of the Qur'an. Both Islamic and western countries are beginning to rely on moderate Muslim ministers to promote nonviolent ideologies to counter terrorist recruitment efforts. Egypt and Yemen have already witnessed conversions of militant Islamists to moderate Islamists. The United Kingdom and France are appealing to moderate Muslim clerics to address the growing number of radicalized Muslims in their prisons. The U.S. Bureau of Prisons' Muslim chaplaincy program provides guidelines for selecting Muslim religious service providers for prison ministry programs. The solution is not an ecumenical reconciliation of the various religions of the world, but a peaceful coexistence among religions, beginning with an intellectual understanding of Islamic ideologies and empathy for the Muslims caught in the war between terrorists and the coalition forces.