John Walker Lindh, the American convicted of aiding the Taliban and sentenced to 20 years in a federal facility in Indiana, is challenging the Federal Bureau of Prisons' policy prohibiting him from praying with other Muslim inmates. What prison officials see as a security threat, Lindh views as religious freedom in need of an accommodation.

The 24 Muslim inmates at the facility, of 43 total inmates, are allowed to pray together one hour each week during Ramadan, which recently ended.

Lindh said that is not enough and that the security concerns are baseless. He vowed Monday on the first day of trial in U.S. District Court here to continue to fight for increased religious freedom.
...
The government's position is that security is threatened when the Muslims congregate to pray, contending in court documents that Lindh delivered a radical sermon to other Muslim prisoners in February. The sermon was given in Arabic, which is prohibited by the Bureau of Prisons. The system requires that inmates speak in English so guards can understand them, except for ritual prayers.

The issue has gone to trial this week. Stay tuned.