In the news today the Reverend Teresa Darden Clapp has been suspended with pay for passing out anti-Islam booklets in the state funded jail at which she works. The two cartoon style booklets that inmates stated she was distributing apparently made such claims as Allah is not God, Mohammed is not his prophet and the Koran is not God's word while the other stated that good muslims are the ones who commit terrorist acts because that is really what Islam teaches. Some local muslims are calling for her termination. The jail has responded by stating it would hire an Imam, a teacher of Islam, and serve Islam acceptable food to muslim inmates.
The two tracts are titled: Men of Peace? and Allah had No Son and are published by Chick Publications.
You can read more here.
Some questions:
-Do you think any person in a publically funded position (eg. your tax dollars support) of authority should be able to speak their convictions to those that are entrusted to them?
-Do you think she was out of line by following her Christian belief: to share the gospel?
-Do you think it is acceptable for religion to be promoted or denied in prison?
-What do you think about the message contained in the tracts? How do they hold up to the teachings of Islam and what the Koran actually states?
-Is there ever a time when a tax payer funded position holder should be able to share their faith while "on the clock"?
-What is a chaplain hired to do?
2 comments:
One can find numerous articles accusing Chaplain Teresa Darden Clapp of alleged wrong doing. Yet there are no articles which support her or her actions.
Are her own religious beliefs to be her down fall, after faithfully serving the Rockland County (NY)) Sheriff's Department in the capacity of a former Corrections Officer and Department Chaplain?
Personally knowing the Chaplain is nothing but an inspiration to one's own self. She is a warm and caring person with a strong belief in her religious convictions. She is a person to offer comfort and a warm embracing smile when ever she is approached. She brought joy and a small bit of happiness to inmates during past holiday seasons by handing out care packages from the Salvation Army. These gifts were not turned down by inmates who practiced the Muslim religion, rather they became much wanted and valued possessions. The small calendars hung in cells of inmates of all religions. Inmates would constantly ask to see or speak with the Chaplain as she often provided a link to the "outside world" for them.
Yet I have not found a single written word from an inmates who were incarcerated or who are currently incarcerated in Rockland's County Jail. A bit odd, but most of the incarcerated only live in the now, and have a mind set of what's in it for me. It does not strike me as odd that the public has not heard from the Correctional Department's staff. (The Line Officers in particular that she worked with day in and out.) They are hindered from making public comment by an Administration that would deal out harsh reprisal if any thing was said that was not to their liking. Nor would the Journal News publish anything of a positive nature, especially if it dealt with on goings at the Correctional Facility.
As for the Band-Aid approach to hire an imam, this should have been years ago. (In fact at one point an imam was brought into the facility, buy he would not work with what he called the five percenters. The Jail has long lacked any clerical support for inmates of the Muslim religion. Qurans were difficult to obtain if not impossible. And as the Programs Director I ran into problems obtaining them from the Chaplain. (T. Darden Clapp was not the Chaplain at the time.) Yet a Bible was relatively easy to obtain as well as plastic rosary beads. Those of the Jewish faith were in most opinions 'catered' to, allowed a Rabbi of there own choice, Kosher Foods, separate prayer (not just in their own cell) but usually in a small room in the programs area. There is a Spanish Bible Study, as well. Where has the outside Muslim community been before this event took place? Where they not aware that inmates of the Muslim faith were confined in this Jail? Did they ever offer support or contact the Jail's Chaplain asking to speak with or conduct services for the Muslim's?
The dis-balance was over looked by the Administration for years, and allowed to continue with very little complaint from the inmate population. Yet now those who violate the teaching of the Quran have raised a voice. "Muslim criminals in the prison are said to have made complaints. One 48-year old prisoner, convicted of burglary, said: "You think it's depressing being an inmate. Try putting 'Muslim' before 'inmate'. And to add salt to a wound we have a chaplain passing out pamphlets calling our God the devil and our prophet a dictator." One does not put a title of religion before the word Inmate, rather it should read: I am an Inmate of the Muslim Faith. One quickly forgets that this CONVICT put himself in confinement and not his or anyone else's religion. The Rockland Correction Center is a Jail and not a prison, there is a difference.
I offer my support to Sister Teresa, may God Bless her and carry her through these difficult and trying times!
Dave,
You bring up some good points by giving the context and the administration's lack of involvement before this issue came into the spotlight.
What do you think the administration could have done differently to avoide this issue? The Muslim Community?
Why do think the administration was not proactive in ensuring this situation did not occur? Do you think the administration knew about the tracts before they were given out?
Since you say you worked there and new Teresa Darden, you would be a good source to answer the above questions.
Thanks for stopping by.
j razz
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