ARE YOU ABLE TO ATTEND FRIDAY PRAYERS?

So many of us, myself included, have asked ourselves this question. Being present at Jummuah prayers, beyond being a religious obligation, is a source of joy and peace that recharges us through the week.

Akili Ujima works as a Special Learning Needs coordinator for the Bureau of Prisons in Georgia. This is what he says about his work: “My job is important to me. I am trying my best to make sure our inmates are prepared to go out into society and not return back to prison because of not being prepared adequately.”

Mr. Ujima requested permission to attend Jummuah prayers during his lunch break at the mosque across the street from his place of employment. In response, his employer “just said no”, as Christina Jump, his CLCMA lawyer, stated on his behalf. The wardens “didn’t speak to Mr.

Ujima, didn’t consult with Human Resources, or Legal, or Chaplaincy services. They just said no. Mr. Ujima asked again. He was denied again. The agency cannot point to a single accommodation that it ever presented during the relevant time frame. No accommodation has been offered, and that is a violation of the law.”