Imams, or Muslim religious leaders, are not exempt from federal scrutiny following the 9/11 attacks. The Federal Bureau of Prisons is currently trying to find an effective way to investigate the Islamic orientation in American prisons to make sure Imams are not disseminating views or ideas that call for fanaticism and violence among prisoners. The bureau is making sure that they don¡¦t represent an element of threat to U.S. national security.

In a report released by the Department of Justice, a paragraph refers to the great possibility that an Imam, whether voluntarily or following instructions, might spread religious messages, mentally preparing some prisoners to accept fanatic views and facilitate their recruitment for terrorists operations inside the United States. There are approximately 9,000 people in the federal prison system who have declared themselves Muslim.

Security concerns go back to the incidents with Richard Reid ¡V he attempted to blowup a civilian airplane by putting explosives inside his shoes ¡V who declared he was Muslim during his stay in a British prison; and John Padilla ¡V he was accused of conspiring to explode a nuclear bomb in the United States ¡V who converted to Islam and adopted fanatic perspectives during his time in a Florida prison.

The report ended by recommending that attention be given to this important issue by creating a list of preachers who may possibly call for violence on U.S. society. The security document alerts that Al-Qaeda, or other terrorist organizations, might infiltrate U.S. prisons and spread the call for violence and terrorism, despite the fact that 10 Imams who work inside federal U.S. prisons confirmed that they did not witness such activity in the course of their work.

The Department of Justice report ends by noting the release the Imam U.S. Army Lieutenant James Yi who was found innocent of spying and stealing secret documents from Guantanamo prison.