This upcoming October, the United States Supreme Court will rule on a Muslim inmate’s lawsuit against the Arkansas Department of Correction. The lawsuit was made after the prisoner was forced to shave his beard by a prison guard and that it violated his freedom of religion. Several Christian organizations showed support and have come to the defense of this prisoner’s religious liberty.
The prisoner in question is Gregory Holt, whose Muslim name is Abdul Maalik Huhannad. Holt was sentenced to life imprisonment after he was convicted of burglary and battery. He asserted that he wishes to maintain a beard at least half an inch long for he believes that it is required of his religious beliefs.
The Arkansas Department of Correction however, allows inmates to grow a beard only a quarter of an inch in length. The DOC allows only the given length of facial hair because inmates may hide weapons and other kinds of tools in the beard. However, Holt is currently being backed by The Becket Fund for Religious Liberty who have successfully defended similar cases in the past.
Several Christian organizations also came to the defense of Gregory Holt at a hearing that was held on the 29th of May. These include the Christian Legal Society, World Vision, Prison Fellowship Ministry, and National Association of Evangelists. The organizations all claim that the DOC's refusal to let Holt grow his beard is a direct violation of the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act of 2000 (RLUIPA).
