1. I suggest that we also allow them to be subject to Islamic law so they can be truly whole and complete with their Muslimness.

Laws against stoning and mutilation can certainly be waived for religious purposes and I'm sure the newspapers would agree in their new-found non-offensive mode. After all, it's their culture.

Posted by: dan on February 13, 2006 08:56 AM

2. sounds like the religion of peace treats their food supply better than people they kidnap.

Posted by: let them eat pork on February 13, 2006 08:58 AM

3. I have some questions.

What is the difference between a Jewish kosher diet and a Muslim halal diet?

What is the number of Jewish prisoners in our state versus Muslim prisoners? They say 660 Muslims, or 4% of the state prison population. I doubt that the number of Jewish prisoners is anywhere near that.

Why do Jewish prisoners get a special kosher meal, which includes meat? If the small number of Jews can get expensive kosher meat, why can't the larger number of Muslims get expensive halal meat?

Can't this problem be solved by giving Jewish prisoners vegetarian meals, just like Muslim prisoners are getting?

And what do the Israelis do? There are a lot of Muslim prisoners in Israeli jails.

And what does the U.S. government do in Guantanamo?

Posted by: Richard Pope on February 13, 2006 09:05 AM

4. I know that Jewish kosher meals have to have meat and milk prepared in separate kitchens with separate utensils. But if we eliminated meat from the Jewish meals, couldn't the dairy and egg products be prepared with the same things as the vegetable components? Wouldn't the Muslim vegetarian meal also satisfy Jewish kosher requirements?

Hopefully, when Jack Abramoff goes to prison, the taxpayers can save a little money by feeding him the same vegetarian meal that goes to the Muslim inmates.

Posted by: Richard Pope on February 13, 2006 09:10 AM

5. Richard Pope:

Take your Jew-hate and shove it up your arse.

Posted by: Manco_Dollars on February 13, 2006 09:13 AM

6. Real simple.

Eat what is served.

Or

Have bread and water. (bacon grease makes the top of a loaf a bread a wonderful golden color).

Posted by: JCM on February 13, 2006 09:21 AM

7. I have a really simple solution to all of this since the diet is in accordance to Muslim law... if you don't like the diet in jail, don't do something to go there.

See how simple that is?

Posted by: Mike H on February 13, 2006 09:24 AM

8. Slightly O/T

Since this cartoon thing started, there has been a conspicuous lack of trolls on this site.

Are they afraid of reprisals.

Maybe they agree with everyone here but are afraid to offend.

Either way, it proves who the newspapers agree with and pander to and how much the left truly believes in freedom.

Posted by: dan on February 13, 2006 09:35 AM

9. Mike H gets my vote for the most commen sense comment yet. We don't send people to jail for being Muslim. We send people to jail for being criminals. If some of those criminals happen to have a particular dietary preference, then that's really something they should have thought about prior to commiting their crime.

And notice that I referred to this as a "preference" vs. a "need". Because that's what it is. A diabetic has dietary needs based on a medical condition. However someone following a reglious based diet is doing so out of preference, not need.

I have no problem with the state spending a few extra dollars to meet the special dietary needs of inmates with medical conditions, doing otherwise would be considered cruel punishment. However once we start bending over backward to meet every special preference then we simply open the flood gates, and prison becomes less of a punishment, and more of a summer camp.

Perhaps these people never had one key element of the prison system explained to them, once in prison you loose some of your rights. It's the price you pay for having commited a crime. And I would certainly think that one of the rights you lose is the right to bitch about the food.

Posted by: Jason on February 13, 2006 09:39 AM

10. If I were to go to prison I'd say my religion requires me to eat steak and halibut and anything else I wanted. See how rediculous this could get? People who do things to get thrown in jail probably aren't abiding by their religion anyway if it's a peaceful religion.

Posted by: joe911 on February 13, 2006 10:32 AM

11. Jail sucks. The food sucks. But, one has a choice. Don't do bad things, don't go to jail, don't have to eat the bad food.

If you end up in jail, don't expect it to be fun.

Posted by: Jeff B. on February 13, 2006 10:33 AM

12. things could be worse, they could be in jail in maracopa county arizona. i doubt that sherrif arpaio would put up with their nonsense. down there the inmates sleep in tents in the desert, no a/c, coffee, tv, movies or porn, eat bologna sandwiches, work on chain gangs and wear pink underwear.

Posted by: Obi-Wan on February 13, 2006 10:40 AM

13. Gee, I wonder if the muslim terrorists pet and coo to their victims before they behead them?

Posted by: katomar on February 13, 2006 10:52 AM

14. It's all about food...
If you can't do the thyme,
don't do the chryme.

Posted by: Huey on February 13, 2006 11:10 AM

15. When I was a starving student:

Breakfast: Oatmeal, with milk if I just got paid. Toast when I was livin' high.

Lunch: Bologna sandwich on the oldest bread from the day old bakery. Whatever fruit was on sale.

Dinner: Beans and rice casserole, homemade split pea with a ham bone begged off a butcher. Stew with a very small cheap cut of meat cooked into edibility.

I was working to make myself a productive member of society.

Explain to me how a person working for the destruction of society deserves anything more than a basic diet which meets nutritional requirements?

It was during this period one aspect of my fundamental conservatism was cemented. I am in line at the grocery store, double checking that my two weeks worth of groceries did not go over my budget. The person in front of me in line, morbidly obese was buying a sampling of the Hostess mega packs, cans and cans of soda, chips, and frozen dinners.

She paid with food stamps.

Took the change and went to the tobacco counter.

Same principle applies to those who through voluntary actions are wards of the state, or are voluntarily dependent upon the state deserve only the basics.

Posted by: JCM on February 13, 2006 11:27 AM

16. Perhaps we should provide an experience more in line with the one they would experience in say, Saudi Arabia? There, if you are in prison, no food is provided. It’s up to your family or someone who feels you’re worth it to provide you your meals. Its their way of forcing your to be “more” social rather than being anti-social. Family or friends think your scum, you starve.

Posted by: sokala on February 13, 2006 12:00 PM

17. It's easy. You put yourself in prison. You broke the rules. Prison is punishment, not a Holiday Inn. In short, don't break the law and you won't have to eat the prison food.

Posted by: doug on February 13, 2006 12:14 PM

18. So it is "Jew hate" to suggest that the handful of Orthodox Jews in our state prison system should eat vegetarian meals, just like the relatively large number of Muslims do? The taxpayers should really have to spend $25 or more a day on special kosher meals for these folks?

Posted by: Richard Pope on February 13, 2006 12:26 PM

19. No Meat?

It's hard to bulk up lifting weights on a veggie diet.

Posted by: Jack Burton on February 13, 2006 12:27 PM

20. Richard Pope is asking a fair question, and I don't think his curiosity is in any way an indication of "Jew hate". I don't keep kosher, but as the article explains, those who observe Jewish dietary laws will not eat food that was prepared on utensils that were (in their belief) contaiminated by non-Kosher food or the mixing of milk with meat. The minimum necessary to respect their religious practice is to prepare food in a Kosher kitchen. I also believe there are some Christian sects that also observe similar dietary laws. The minimum necessary to respect the Muslim religious practice is to offer a nutritionally sound alternative to non-Halal meat.

Posted by: Stefan Sharkansky on February 13, 2006 12:34 PM

21. I dont care what religious faith a PRISONER is, he should be fed the Min. allowed to Survive. Period. Every time his tummy growls, he can think about the crime he committed. No mercy. Reap what you sow

Posted by: Chris on February 13, 2006 12:45 PM

22. I'll bet you can count on your hands & feet the number of Jews in Washington Prisons who insist on a Kosher diet! Orthodox Jews are not exactly the prison-bound types.

Oooops, is that racist or offensive to someone??

Posted by: Mr. Cynical on February 13, 2006 01:52 PM

23. Speaking of Violins

What Hipocrits Democraps are:

Paul Harvey said today they just discovered that Jimmy the Nut Carter, after using Mrs Kings Funeral as his own special podium to blast George Bush for spying on americans without any court approval, he approved and carried out the very same spying without any court approval whatsoever.

And that is the rest of the story by Paul Harvey

Good Day

!

Posted by: GS on February 13, 2006 01:54 PM

24. Jeez, and I can still remember my G.I. days with S.O.S. and powdered eggs for breakfast.
Give 'em all MRE's!!!

Posted by: John425 on February 13, 2006 02:44 PM

25. Gee, I wouldn't give them any options at all. You're a criminal, you shouldn't expect any favors, so just eat the SPAM & rice they serve and STFU.

Posted by: H Moul on February 13, 2006 03:06 PM

26. I agree with Chris. Too bad if you have a religious diet, or an ideological diet. When you are in prison, you should get only whatever meager food they give you to survive. If you don't like it, then maybe you will think long and hard about the life you want to lead when you get out.

And as for the Muslims detained after capture on the battlefield, they should count themselves as lucky, taking up arms against a technologically advanced army is a good way to get yourself killed. And our official policy is one of gross restraint. If we actually let our troops fight without restraint, there would not be a lot of these nutters left to detain.

Posted by: Jeff B. on February 13, 2006 04:17 PM

27. "Soylent Green is people!"

http://www.soylent-green.com/

Posted by: starboardhelm on February 13, 2006 05:42 PM

28. John425

I bet there is warehouse somewhere full of C-Rats. Should be able to pick 'em up cheap.

Hum! On second thought how about K-Rats.

Posted by: JCM on February 13, 2006 05:43 PM

29. I could only read half of these as it's quite funny in many ways. However, I need to go to the store for some Drano. While playing frontroom-football, somebody drop kicked a koran into my toilet. Yes, we gave them the extra point!

Posted by: PC on February 13, 2006 05:43 PM

30. Bread and peanut butter. That's what I ate in college. And Ramen noodles. Doesn't violate anyone's "sensitivities". Cheap and easy. They can eat it every day and STFU.

Posted by: Peggy U on February 13, 2006 06:03 PM

31. I say give them MRE's. If you want to eat special Muslim meat, do not commit crimes.

Posted by: Dale from lake city on February 13, 2006 08:05 PM

32. Obi-Wan,
Wasn't Sheriff Arpaio the one who had jail food baked into a bread shaped loaf of tasteless nutrients, sufficient to meet MDR? I think the cost per meal of that awful stuff was 37 cents per. Sustain life is all that is needed.

Posted by: bwana on February 14, 2006 06:57 PM

33. On one hand, I agree - I don't like special rules for religion, and I see no reason why the food should be different for those who have broken the law (outside of actual physical requirements - people with a bad stomach, etc).

On the other - I do not believe that prison should be only punishment; I believe it should be rehabilitation. If prison is simply punishment, I recommend we simply throw away the key - if people aren't exposed to knowledge and tolerance in prison, they are much more likely to offend again after they are released. I wouldn't be surprised if the prison systems that did go the extra mile in these sorts of ways produced ex-cons with the best post-prison records.

Posted by: Ben Schiendelman on February 15, 2006 03:56 PM

34. Ben Schiendelman,

"[I]f people aren't exposed to knowledge and tolerance in prison, they are
much more likely to offend again after they are released."

Maybe we should turn prisons and jails into community colleges and visa-versa?
What turnip truck did you fall off?

Posted by: Amused by liberals on February 17, 2006 01:47 PM

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