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Pilot Sues U.S. Over Terrorist Watch List
cbsnews ^ | Aug. 20, 2008

Posted on 07/01/2009 12:36:37 PM PDT by JoeProBono

A "Law-Abiding Combat Veteran," Who Converted To Islam, May Lose His Job At A Commercial Airline:

A commercial airline pilot and convert to Islam who says his name is on the U.S. government's secret terrorist watch list has fought back, filing a federal lawsuit against the Homeland Security Department and various other federal agencies.

Erich Scherfen says that unless his name is removed from the list, he faces losing not only his job but the ability to make a living in his chosen profession.

"My livelihood depends on being off this list," Scherfen told reporters Tuesday after his lawyers filed the lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Harrisburg.

He alleges that the government's actions have violated his and his wife's constitutional rights. The suit seeks a hearing and a decision before he is scheduled to lose his job on Sept. 1.

A New Jersey native, Scherfen, 37, said he believes his name was placed on a watch list because he converted to Islam in 1994 - even though he is a Gulf War combat veteran. Both he and his Pakistan-born wife, who is also a Muslim, said they have no criminal records or ties to terrorists.


TOPICS: Miscellaneous
KEYWORDS: watchlist
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1 posted on 07/01/2009 12:36:37 PM PDT by JoeProBono
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To: JoeProBono

The Brady Bunch does not want him buying any guns, either!


2 posted on 07/01/2009 12:40:43 PM PDT by 2harddrive (then)
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To: JoeProBono

To bad so sad, thats what happens.


3 posted on 07/01/2009 12:41:47 PM PDT by svcw (Barry: mentally deficient & narcissistic misogynist megalomaniac psychopath w/ paranoid delusions)
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Comment #4 Removed by Moderator

To: JoeProBono

I am thinking his Paki wife has issues, as does his mosque.


5 posted on 07/01/2009 12:43:46 PM PDT by Jewbacca (The residents of Iroquois territory may not determine whether Jews may live in Jerusalem.)
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To: JoeProBono
Converting to Islam is proof of mental illness in my book. It's a nutty, suicidal, child-molesting, anti-rational mind f**k. Being born into that Satanic mess is one thing, but choosing to believe it is the text book definition of "unfit" and "dangerously unstable".

Pilot an aircraft?

Hell, I don't want him operating a butter knife.


A verbis ad verbera

6 posted on 07/01/2009 12:47:25 PM PDT by Costumed Vigilante (Congress: When a handful of evil morons just isn't enough)
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To: JoeProBono

I ... DON’T ... TRUST ... MOHAMMEDANS.

Even the secular ones can all of a sudden get serious about the mandates in Mohammed’s screed and go off on a killing spree.

I ... DON’T ... TRUST ... MOHAMMEDANS.


7 posted on 07/01/2009 12:47:46 PM PDT by Westbrook (Having more children does not divide your love, it multiplies it.)
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To: JoeProBono

The article said — A commercial airline pilot and convert to Islam who says his name is on the U.S. government’s secret terrorist watch list has fought back, filing a federal lawsuit against the Homeland Security Department and various other federal agencies.

Ummm..., he should have thought about that before joining a evil, oppressive and violent government idealogy (called “Islam”). If a person joins a group of criminals, people are going to think they’re a criminal, ya know...

So, if one joins a group of terrorists, what does he expect?


8 posted on 07/01/2009 12:48:18 PM PDT by Star Traveler (The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob is a Zionist and Jerusalem is the apple of His eye.)
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To: JoeProBono
Erich Scherfen says that unless his name is removed from the list, he faces losing not only his job but the ability to make a living in his chosen profession.

So, what piece of the puzzle are we missing? Surely, simply converting to a different religion is not grounds to put someone on the Terrorism suspect list. If they can black-ball you because you are Islam, they can black-ball you if you are Baptist, Luthern, Mormon, Catholic, Wiccan, Buddhist, or Athiest. What are the criteria for a person being put on that list? To be denied a chance at a livilihood simply because of your faith is a violation of everything America is supposed to stand for.

9 posted on 07/01/2009 12:48:58 PM PDT by Hodar (Who needs laws .... when this "feels" so right?)
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To: Jewbacca

Pakistani doesn’t necessarily mean anything. It has Western-friendly areas in addition to the famous Afghan border militants.


10 posted on 07/01/2009 12:53:05 PM PDT by antiRepublicrat
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To: Westbrook

This is a dangerous path you have adopted. After Mohammedans, who’s next? Jews? Blacks? Mormons? Catholics? Baptists?

I mean, if you are going to blanket and deprive a group of people the ability to earn a living because they worship God in a different fashion than you, what pray tell, makes you different than other oppressive villians of the past? I mean, who needs a trial, right? Simply joining Islam is apparently grounds enough to take his home, his livilihood, his possessions. So, who’s next?

I hope you don’t claim that you follow Christianity as one of your beliefs, because you are about as far out of step with what Christ taught as you can get.


11 posted on 07/01/2009 12:53:46 PM PDT by Hodar (Who needs laws .... when this "feels" so right?)
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To: JoeProBono

Sorry, I don’t want him flying my jet

Maybe Egyptair is hiring


12 posted on 07/01/2009 12:55:04 PM PDT by silverleaf ("Never forget that everything Hitler did in Germany was legal ( Martin Luther King))
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To: Hodar

Sure.

You could be on the list form having a ‘strong’ belief. ie constitution, Ron Paul, patriot movement.


13 posted on 07/01/2009 12:55:09 PM PDT by BGHater (Insanity is voting for Republicans and expecting Conservatism.)
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To: Westbrook

Converto Islam, and you’ve bought the whole shtick. It’s a ‘religion of peace’ the same way I’m the Duke of England.


14 posted on 07/01/2009 12:56:05 PM PDT by Noumenon (As long as I have a rifle, I STILL have a vote...)
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To: Costumed Vigilante

“Pilot an aircraft?

Hell, I don’t want him operating a butter knife”.

Amen to that.


15 posted on 07/01/2009 12:56:06 PM PDT by alarm rider (My tagline is on vacation.)
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To: JoeProBono
Assuming the story is true (big if, of course) then I call bullshit. If he is a presumed terrorist only because he is Muslim then anyone who is against abortion is also a terrorist.
16 posted on 07/01/2009 12:57:39 PM PDT by starlifter (Sapor Amo Pullus)
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To: JoeProBono

17 posted on 07/01/2009 12:59:09 PM PDT by TSgt (Extreme vitriol and rancorous replies served daily. - Mike W USAF)
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To: Hodar

Relying on a puff piece by this media is flying blind- you have no idea of other factors that went into his recently being placed on a “terror watch list” by this extraordinarily tolerant Eric-Holder DOJ administration

Perhaps he attends a mosque that is known to be a hotbed of jihad. Maybe the wife’s “friends and family list” has some contacts in jihadist camps and madrassas in Pakistan.


18 posted on 07/01/2009 12:59:49 PM PDT by silverleaf ("Never forget that everything Hitler did in Germany was legal ( Martin Luther King))
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To: starlifter; Hodar

Ditto to what you both said. There is something else going on here.


19 posted on 07/01/2009 1:00:54 PM PDT by thefrankbaum (Ad maiorem Dei gloriam)
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To: 2harddrive

The Brady Bunch does not want him buying any guns, either!

No. The BRady Bunch doesn’t want ANYBODY buying any guns. Except, of course, loyal members of the left. No right to purchase a gun if you are on the Terror Watch List? Guess how many names will suddenly be added to the list if that fiasco should pass!


20 posted on 07/01/2009 1:02:00 PM PDT by Oldpuppymax (AGENDA OF THE LEFT EXPOSED)
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