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Report: Muslim women face racial and religious discrimination by UK prison staff

The Arab News reported, British website The Independent said citing a damning report, Muslim women are facing the normalization of racial and religious persecution at the hands of UK prison staff.
The Criminal Justice Alliance and the Independent Monitoring Board, which surveyed hundreds of female black, Asian, minority ethnic and overseas-born inmates, found that Muslims are being singled out for their faith.
One Muslim inmate of black African heritage told the report: “I feel as if black prisoners or those that are Muslim are seen as intimidating.”
She said officers often express this through a reluctance to provide prisoners within these categories “trustworthy roles,” adding that they only do so to “appear like they are not racist.”
Other treatment detailed included a Muslim being attacked while reading the Qur’an, and staff responding to frequent use of the N- and P-words by telling prisoners to “deal with it.”

Of the hundreds of women surveyed, a third described their treatment as “poor” or “very poor,” with 40 percent saying they have experienced discrimination, including reduced access to prison employment.
Nina Champion, director of the CJA, said: “This ground-breaking project centres on the lived experiences of black, Asian and minority ethnic women in prison — their accounts of direct and indirect racism and poor treatment are shocking and distressing.
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“Even more upsetting is their sense of fatalism — they see this treatment as part of their everyday lives.”
Included in the report is a dozen recommendations for the prison service and Ministry of Justice, including provision of improved leadership on equality, ramped up anti-racist training, and external scrutiny of prisoner discrimination claims.
A ministry spokesperson told The Independent: “We are working hard across government to tackle the deep-rooted causes of racial disparity in the justice system.
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“Racism and discrimination are not tolerated in our jails, and we take strong action to ensure the fair, equal and decent treatment of all prisoners and staff.”
Source: arabnews
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BENEFIT Sponsors BuildHer...
- April 23, 2025
BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, has sponsored the BuildHer CityHack 2025 Hackathon, a two-day event spearheaded by the College of Engineering and Technology at the Royal University for Women (RUW).
Aimed at secondary school students, the event brought together a distinguished group of academic professionals and technology experts to mentor and inspire young participants.
More than 100 high school students from across the Kingdom of Bahrain took part in the hackathon, which featured an intensive programme of training workshops and hands-on sessions. These activities were tailored to enhance participants’ critical thinking, collaborative problem-solving, and team-building capabilities, while also encouraging the development of practical and sustainable solutions to contemporary challenges using modern technological tools.
BENEFIT’s Chief Executive Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi, commented: “Our support for this educational hackathon reflects our long-term strategic vision to nurture the talents of emerging national youth and empower the next generation of accomplished female leaders in technology. By fostering creativity and innovation, we aim to contribute meaningfully to Bahrain’s comprehensive development goals and align with the aspirations outlined in the Kingdom’s Vision 2030—an ambition in which BENEFIT plays a central role.”
Professor Riyadh Yousif Hamzah, President of the Royal University for Women, commented: “This initiative reflects our commitment to advancing women in STEM fields. We're cultivating a generation of creative, solution-driven female leaders who will drive national development. Our partnership with BENEFIT exemplifies the powerful synergy between academia and private sector in supporting educational innovation.”
Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager, PR & Communication at BENEFIT, said: “We are honoured to collaborate with RUW in supporting this remarkable technology-focused event. It highlights our commitment to social responsibility, and our ongoing efforts to enhance the digital and innovation capabilities of young Bahraini women and foster their ability to harness technological tools in the service of a smarter, more sustainable future.”
For his part, Dr. Humam ElAgha, Acting Dean of the College of Engineering and Technology at the University, said: “BuildHer CityHack 2025 embodies our hands-on approach to education. By tackling real-world problems through creative thinking and sustainable solutions, we're preparing women to thrive in the knowledge economy – a cornerstone of the University's vision.”
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