Former Colorado inmate, a Muslim, files federal suit, claims forced shaving of beard violates relig-

Former Colorado inmate, a Muslim, files federal suit, claims forced shaving of beard violates religious rights

A former Colorado Department of Corrections inmate, a Muslim, has filed a federal lawsuit claiming that a prison staffer made him shave his beard, a violation of his First Amendment rights to freely practice his religion.

Tajuddin Ashaheed, 47, filed a civil lawsuit Thursday in U.S. District Court claiming the order to shave caused Ashaheed to “suffer injuries, including an inability to engage in a significant religious practice,” according to the lawsuit. Ashaheed was known to the corrections department, and identified as, a Muslim, the lawsuit said.

On July 5, 2016, Ashaheed went to the corrections department reception center to begin a 90-day sentence for a parole violation and when being processed he was ordered to shave. Ashaheed, according to the lawsuit, protested, explaining that “shaving his beard would violate a core tenet of his faith.”

The defendant, identified in the lawsuit as Officer John Doe, but who is known to CDOC officials, told Ashaheed he must have a “full beard” in order to qualify for a religious exemption, according to the lawsuit. Corrections policy and federal law provide shaving exemptions for “inmates who wear a beard based on religious tenets,” according to the suit.

Read more: http://www.denverpost.com/2017/12/14/muslim-colorado-inmate-beard-shaving-violated-religious-rights/