Muslim jail inmate says he can't pray because other prisoners are too noisy A Muslim restaurateur who failed to pay $1 million in tax appealed his jail sentence because it would cause severe hardship in carrying out his religious duties.
Khalid Mehmood didn't believe in paying $1 million tax – but the government didn't have much sympathy and sent him to prison.
Now, the restaurateur says jail itself is against his religion: he isn't fed a halal diet, he can't pray because the other inmates are too noisy, and he doesn't have access to an imam.
Again, authorities are unsympathetic. This week, the Court of Appeal upheld his three-year sentence in Northland Region Corrections Facility.