Marching to the beat of a different drum

A MOTHER serving life for murdering her baby son will sue prison bosses for refusing her a native American drum so she can talk to the dead.

Chah Oh-Niyol Kai Whitewind says wardens at Low Newton prison, in Durham, are violating her human rights because they will not allow her to keep potions, spell books and a peace pipe in her cell.

The Birmingham mother-of-three was jailed for life in 2003 for suffocating her 12-week-old son, Bidziil, because he would not breast-feed.

However:

Her letter said: "I am a Shamanic pagan. I do not believe in violence. I have respect for all life and individuality."

Hmm. Yes, if you say so. What was it you were convicted of, again?

I really can't believe that this one will succeed. At least, I sincerely hope it doesn't. The notion that there is a human right to be provided with a magical drum really does put all the other bizarre human rights claims this country has witnessed very firmly in the shade. Although, I think that it may itself be eclipsed by the demand of Swedish prisoners that their "human right" to sunbathe be facilitated by the provision by the prison authorities of bikinis.
Not, of course, that we should be particularly surprised by the increasing prevalence of bizarre "human rights" claims by prisoners. After all, since it has been held that it is illegal to deny prisoners the right to vote, we should not be at all startled if it is claimed that any difference in treatment between prisoners, and law-abiding citizens on the outside, is a "human rights" violation. The principle that there should be equal treatment between these two unequal classes has been laid down; all that is now required is that it should be put fully into practice.

However, notwithstanding all this, this claim is pretty surreal. But just as bizarre as the claim itself, is the list of objects to which pagan prisoners such as Whitewind are already entitled. They include "a hoodless robe, a flexible twig and rune stones". Yes, the "human right" to possess a hoodless robe was surely what inspired the heroes of D-Day as they charged up the beaches.
Still, I suppose that this case does at least demonstrate, that the status of poor oppressed victim is not restricted to Muslims (although they do sit at the top of the victimhood tree), but is open to anyone, just as long as they're not a white heterosexual Christian.

Hat-tip: Laban Tall