Opinion ID: 608135
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Prayer in Arabic

Text: 18 Conner alleges that his first and fourteenth amendment rights were violated when prison officials punished him for praying aloud in Arabic. He was punished for violating a prison rule that requires inmates to communicate in the English language only; including telephone calls, visits, and letters. Conner contends that as a Muslim he must say his prayers in Arabic and that he must say them aloud; that on February 1, 1989, he was a recent convert to Islam and had only begun to learn Arabic; and that on that day he was praying aloud in Arabic in unison with a more experienced fellow inmate when Defendants Paaga and Lee ordered the two men to speak in English only. When Conner refused to comply, Defendant Paaga issued a misconduct report, which led to Conner's confinement in disciplinary segregation for fourteen days. In addition to Defendants Paaga and Lee, Conner seeks relief from Defendants Oku, Sakai, and Falk for the deprivation of due process he claims to have suffered. 19 Construing the facts most favorably to Conner, as we must on a motion for summary judgment, see Leer v. Murphy, 844 F.2d 628, 631 (9th Cir.1988), we assume that Conner was punished after refusing to stop praying in Arabic. 8 It is a fundamental element of due process that conduct may be punished under a rule only if that rule proscribes the conduct. It seems clear that the prison's English-only rule does not apply to prayer. We believe that the plain meaning of the rule forbids the non-English interchange of information between or among humans, not between humans and their gods. If the rule were intended to apply to communication with divine beings, certainly the term prayer would have been used. Nor do the examples provided in the rule--telephone calls, visits, and letters--suggest a more holy meaning. 20 In addition, even if the interpretation of the rule could be stretched to include prayer, we would hold that the due process clause forbids the implementation of such a construction. The due process clause bars the state from imposing punishment on the basis of an unexpected and unusual interpretation of plain language. See Bouie v. City of Columbia, 378 U.S. 347, 352, 84 S.Ct. 1697, 1702, 12 L.Ed.2d 894 (1964). The language of the English-only rule on its face clearly proscribes only inter-personal communication, and the examples accompanying the rule reinforce such a reading. Had the state desired to proscribe praying aloud, language clearly proscribing such conduct could have been included in the rule. 9 See United States v. Petrillo, 332 U.S. 1, 7, 67 S.Ct. 1538, 1540, 91 L.Ed. 1877 (1947) (upholding a law against a void-for-vagueness challenge because no clearer and more precise language.... occurs to us, nor has any better language been suggested, effectively to carry out what appears to have been the Congressional purpose). The interpretation of the English-only rule sought by the state would be most unexpected and highly unusual. Therefore, the rule cannot be constitutionally applied to the conduct at issue here: it gives inmates insufficient notice that they are forbidden to pray in a foreign language. 21 Conner does not proximately connect Defendants Oku, Sakai, and Falk to the constitutional wrong he has suffered. Summary judgment was therefore appropriate as to these defendants. Leer v. Murphy, 844 F.2d at 633-34; Taylor v. List, 880 F.2d 1040, 1045 (9th Cir.1989). The state maintains that Defendants Paaga and Lee are immune from suit. It is true that government officials performing discretionary functions enjoy a qualified immunity insofar as their conduct does not violate statutory or constitutional rights of which a reasonable person should have known. See Harlow v. Fitzgerald, 457 U.S. at 818, 102 S.Ct. at 2738. As indicated by our discussion above, we believe a reasonable official would have known that a regulation that forbids communication in a foreign language does not forbid prayer. Thus, the state cannot assert the defense of qualified immunity based on uncertainty in the law or the law's application to this case. 22 Nevertheless, Defendants Paaga and Lee may still be entitled to qualified immunity. The proper question is whether, at the time of the challenged conduct, a reasonable official would have understood that the actions of Defendants Paaga and Lee violated Conner's rights. Anderson v. Creighton, 483 U.S. at 640-41, 107 S.Ct. at 3039-40. Thus, if a reasonable official would not have realized that Conner was praying but could have thought that he was simply communicating with humans regarding earthly subjects, Defendants Paaga and Lee would be entitled to qualified immunity. On remand, the district court should consider whether Defendants Paaga and Lee are entitled to qualified immunity on this basis.