Six men in a prison in Woodbourne, New York, are going to court together. They believe that they have the right to see the solar eclipse because it is a ‘religiously important event’ for them.
Other backgrounds
The men all have different backgrounds. One is Muslim, another Baptist, one man is Christian, two are followers of the African religion Santeria and one is an atheist. Yet the solar eclipse occurs in all their religions and the natural phenomenon is “of enormous value” to them all, they write in their complaint.
The solar eclipse will be visible in parts of the United States on Monday. It is a rare natural phenomenon, because the last time Americans saw the moon blocking the sun’s rays was in 2017. The next solar eclipse will not be visible in the United States until 2044.
‘Closer to God’
The six men hope that the court will rule before the weekend. “Watching the solar eclipse with people I know here brings me closer to God,” one of the men told American media.
The prison where they are being held previously announced that it would go into lockdown on the day of the natural phenomenon. This means that prisoners are not allowed to go outside between 2:00 PM and 5:00 PM. The solar eclipse will be visible in New York around 3:15 p.m.
