A Muslim woman, Husina Hussain, who was involved in a drunken brawl at a bowling alley, has been spared from wearing an electronic sobriety tag after arguing that it would hinder her religious preparations for Friday prayers. The incident occurred when Hussain hit a manager at the venue and engaged in racially abusive behavior.
Hussain’s lawyer argued against the imposition of an alcohol abstinence order, stating that the electronic tag would interfere with her ability to perform Wudu, the ritual washing Muslims undertake before prayer. According to Islamic faith, Muslims must be clean and wear clean clothes before presenting themselves before God.
Seraj Khan, Hussain’s defense lawyer, stated in Tameside Magistrates’ Court, “Her faith has become stronger since the incident. The prospect of wearing an alcohol monitoring tag is causing her concern as she now prays regularly and must fully wash herself as part of this. She feels she wouldn’t be able to fully clean unless she could remove this tag.”
The court heard that an intoxicated Hussain began shouting inside the Hollywood Bowl in Ashton-Under-Lyne and assaulted Ami Singleton, an assistant manager, when she attempted to intervene. A scuffle ensued, during which Hussain dragged Miss Singleton to the floor before nearby bowlers intervened and stopped the fight. Hussain also attempted to kick a police officer several times in the knees when they were called to the scene.
Hussain, a resident of Oldham, Greater Manchester, pleaded guilty to assault by beating, assault by beating of an emergency worker, and racially aggravated harassment. She received a nine-month community order and was required to complete a 15-day rehabilitation course. No alcohol monitoring program was imposed.
During the sentencing, magistrate Ronald Marshall acknowledged the root cause of the main issue to be alcohol and emphasized the need for rehabilitation. He described the incident as isolated and stated, “This matter has been going on for some time now – put it behind you and move on.”
Source: The Telegraph
