By LESLIE ANNE DOMINIQUE<\/p>\n\n\n\n
ATMORE, Ala. \u2014 Muslim inmate Dominique Ray was executed by lethal injection under the order of the U.S. Supreme Court after requesting to have an Islamic spiritual mentor in the execution chamber on his day of death.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
According to sources, shortly before the case was brought to the U.S. Supreme Court, Ray argued that his Atmore Prison did not accommodate Muslim inmates in that a prison-employed Christian chaplain stayed in the chamber to offer comfort during lethal injections. However, his prison along with the state refused to grant for an imam to be present. Due to \u201csecurity reasons,\u201d Ray’s imam, Yusef Maisonet, was only permitted to view the execution in the next room, separated by glass.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ray gained the attention of the nation when he challenged this\ndecision at the federal appeals court. On Wednesday the court granted him a\nstay of execution, while they decided if Ray\u2019s case violated Establishment\nClause of the First Amendment by \u201cpreferring one religion over another.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
However, less than 24 hours later in a 5-4 ruling, the\nSupreme Court allowed for the commencement of the execution on Thursday. His imam\nwas not in the room.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ray was sentenced to death after\nhe raped and murdered a 15- year old, Tiffany Harville whose body was\ndiscovered in a cotton field. Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall called\nRay\u2019s execution a “long-delayed appointment with justice.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Conservative justices claim that their abrupt decision was\ndue to the \u201clast-minute nature\u201d of Ray\u2019s appeal. Whereas, liberal justices find\nthe ruling to be inevitably wrong.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ray\u2019s case brings to question if the Establishment Clause\nwas actually violated. Many argue that Christian prisoners have been granted\nthe right to have a religiously affiliated leader by their side during\nexecution so, why is Ray\u2019s case different?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As Alabama\u2019s first execution of 2019, Dominique Ray\u2019s case\nis still being reviewed. Although he was not granted his religious rights, the\nconversation about church and state will continue.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
By LESLIE ANNE DOMINIQUE ATMORE, Ala. \u2014 Muslim inmate Dominique Ray was executed by lethal injection under the order of the U.S. Supreme Court after requesting to have an Islamic spiritual mentor in the execution chamber on his day of … Continue reading