An Imam disputes American Taliban fighter John Walker Lindh’s claim that Islam requires him to do his ritual daily prayers as part of a group, even though he’s in prison.

Ammar Amonette testified yesterday in Federal Court in Indianapolis that he and Lindh adhere to the same Hanbali school of Islam and that it excuses followers from praying in groups if it isn’t possible. The second day of trial in Lindh’s lawsuit challenging a rule allowing only supervised group prayer at the tightly controlled federal prison unit in Terre Haute, Ind., where he’s serving a 20-year sentence.