The Council on American-Islamic Relations is welcoming a decision by the State of Alabama to grant a request of a Muslim death row inmate. The Department of Corrections will not conduct an autopsy following the planned execution of Keith Gavin. The civil rights group, known as CAIR for short, previously supported the inmate’s request, which is in accordance with the Muslim beliefs.
CAIR’s National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper said in a news release to APR…
“We welcome the decision not to conduct an autopsy in this case as a sign that the religious rights of incarcerees will be respected and protected. Religious freedom should not end when an individual is incarcerated.”
CAIR goes onto say…
“In Islamic beliefs, autopsies are generally viewed as impermissible mutilation of the deceased but are permissible in cases of necessity and only to the extent required.”
The civil rights group offers an educational toolkit for correctional officers and administrators called ‘A Correctional Institution’s Guide to Islamic Religious Practices.’ It’s designed to help correctional officers and administrators gain a better understanding of Islam and Muslims.”
Gavin was convicted of capital murder for the 1998 shooting death of William Clinton Clayton Jr. in Cherokee County in northeast Alabama. Clayton, a delivery driver, had stopped at an ATM to get money to take his wife to dinner when he was shot, prosecutors said. A jury voted 10-2 in favor of the death penalty for Gavin. The trial court accepted the jury's recommendation and sentenced him to death.
CAIR’s mission is to protect civil rights, enhance understanding of Islam, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.
