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Failure To Remove Shoes Causes Arrest
POUGHKEEPSIE, New York, April 7 (IslamOnline) - A Poughkeepsie, New York Muslim woman was sent to jail Friday for refusing to allow entry in her home to her probation officers, insisting that they should take off their shoes.
Shantell Williams, 26, who is on probation after pleading guilty last year to larceny charges was sent to Dutchess County Jail on $10,000 bail after a court appearance on Friday morning.
County Court Judge Thomas J. Dolan ordered Williams to be jailed after probation officer Cheryl Zuna told him that officers were denied entry into Williams's home for not taking took off their shoes.
Due to security reasons, Zuna said that the officers filed a report on the incident after they left the house without entering it since they could entertain Williams' request.
Patricia Resch, commissioner of the county Office of Probation and Community Corrections said, "As a matter of policy, our people don't take their shoes off for any reason." She also said that her officers have never once been asked before to take off their shoes while visiting Muslim homes.
Williams was first placed on probation last year after she admitted to stealing around $4,000 from the Morse Young Child Magnet School PTA (Parent-Teacher's Association) where she served as a treasurer in 1998 and 1999. She was later also convicted of welfare fraud and was again placed on probation and ordered to repay the stolen money.
Local Muslim leaders of the area were surprised to hear that a Muslim woman was jailed for simply asking the officers to comply with a well-known Muslim custom.
Abdur Razzaq, head of security for the Mid-Hudson Islamic Association, told the Poughkeepsie Journal, "We're not going to accept some lawyers telling us about Islamic law. If [the officers] have a warrant, that's one thing. Otherwise, they should not violate [Islamic] law."
Razzaq said that members of his organization were currently trying to free Williams.
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