Mrs Khyam: That’s right. Segregation is a punishment and the conditions are very strict and it is just meant to be temporary. But in Omar’s case, why is he being punished? Why should he have to live in these conditions?

Al-Istiqamah: Sister Muddassar Arani, has stated "We are not asking for preferential treatment for Muslim prisoners. What we are requesting is that Muslim prisoners should be afforded the same protection as other prisoners."

Mrs Khyam: That’s correct. And I don’t believe that we are asking for too much or something which is impossible.

Al-Istiqamah: Why do you think that the Prison Service has refused to protect Muslims in the same manner as paedophiles?

Mrs Khyam: I don’t know why they’ve refused. I don’t understand it. I think that it makes sense for Muslims to be moved to a separate wing for their own protection. Why wait for more incidents to happen and more people to get hurt before dealing with the issue? They are voicing concerns in the Media about radicalisation and recruiting… maybe that is their reason which again isn’t really a valid reason in my opinion.

Al-Istiqamah: Yet when members of the IRA were imprisoned in the UK, they were given a designated wing, to ensure their protection. Paedophiles are kept together. Any group of criminals could potentially learn influence each other, couldn't they?

Mrs Khyam: Precisely. Even if you put all of the armed robbers together, they can teach each other and learn from each other! Where do you draw the line? These recent attacks and threats are a very serious issue. This involves their safety and right to life.

Al-Istiqamah: Some people have said that these are “terrorists” and thus they don’t warrant any sympathy?

Mrs Khyam: The IRA were classified as convicted terrorists, yet the Prison Service still protected them. Nobody deserves to be brutally burnt the way Eesa Barot was. He suffered 2nd and 3rd degree burns and is disfigured for life. His body has swollen up three times its size due to water retention. He’s lost all his hair. He said “I’d rather be dead than go through this pain” and why should he have to go through it? The authorities have a duty towards every inmate, regardless of his crime or his religion. And we as Muslims have a duty to him and need to work together and do what it takes to get him protected.

Al-Istiqamah: Speaking of religion, your husband is a British Muslim. He was born here in the UK. Given the current climate, had these incidents involved non-Muslim inmates, do you feel they would have been taken so flippantly?

Mrs Khyam: Not a chance. I firmly believe that he would have been treated a lot better and been looked out for. Unlike the way we’re being treated now.

Al-Istiqamah: The Prison Service has issued a statement declaring “We will continue to treat these prisoners like all other criminals. We will do what is necessary to protect them but we have no intention of creating special conditions for them.” What do you envisage being a solution to this very real and serious threat?

 

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