Muslims Felt Singled Out During Alert

AP ^ | 1/10/04 | WAYNE PARRY

[TomServo]

BUTLER, N.J. (AP) - Rehab Elmoslemany had been at Newark Liberty International Airport for more than seven hours, waiting for a much-delayed flight to Egypt while security officials questioned her about who she was, where she was going and why.

It was after midnight on Christmas by the time she, her husband and their two children were allowed to board their flight to Alexandria for a family wedding. The kids kicked off their shoes, and 6-year-old Kareem Abdel-Kader whined that he was hungry.

Then two men walked up the aisle and ordered the family off the plane, refusing to say why or where they would be taken, she said.

"I was in my husband's arms, crying hysterically," said Elmoslemany, an Egyptian native who became an American citizen two years ago. "My son said, `What did we do? Are they taking you to jail?'"

An officer with the Joint Terrorism Task Force told Elmoslemany her name had come up as a possible match with someone on an FBI watch list. By the time the matter was cleared up, the only flight that would arrive in Egypt in time for the wedding had already taken off.

Similar scenes played out across the nation during the three weeks that that the color-coded terrorism alert was at orange, the second-highest level, indicating a high risk of a terrorist attack. The alert was lowered to yellow on Friday, but airports remain on high alert.

Authorities have said they believe terrorists will try to use an airliner in another attack on the U.S. About two dozen flights were canceled due to security fears during that period.

Many of those being scrutinized are Muslim, adding to a feeling of persecution reported by many Muslims since the Sept. 11 terror attacks.

"They treated me like a terrorist. I am not one," said Elmoslemany, a customer service representative at a Butler bank. "I am an American citizen with exactly the same rights they have."

Muslims are getting used to the scrutiny - and fed up with it, said immigration lawyer Sohail Mohammed. "Now we're about ready to say it's not worth flying every time there's one of these heightened security alerts."

But FBI Special Agent Steven Kodak defended the practice of closely screening passengers whose names are red-flagged as a possible security threat.

"We're given these names off watch lists, and when a name comes up as even a partial match - if the date of birth is different or even if the sex doesn't match - we have to take the person off and do a thorough investigation," he said. "I'm sorry that happened, but it's the price we're paying after 9-11."

Mian Zahid Ghani, a journalist with a Pakistani news agency, also has felt the effects of post-Sept. 11 precautions.

Ghani, who works in New Jersey, brought a cell phone to lunch with him in December as he and two friends discussed events in their native country, including two assassination attempts against Pakistani president Pervez Musharraf.

The cell phone accidentally auto-dialed one of its stored numbers - the New York City Police Department's media relations office - and stayed connected for 40 minutes.

Just before midnight, two New York City police officers knocked on his door, asking him to explain sounds they recorded from the call, including talk about Musharraf, a car door closing and what sounded like gunshots, he said.

"We were at a Jewish deli, having lunch. Maybe they heard a TV program in the background," Ghani said. "Do you think if there were actually bullets flying, we would be calmly talking?"

Ghani drove the two officers to the deli at 1:30 a.m., but because it was closed, none of them could see from the outside whether the deli had a television set. Then they left. He said he hasn't heard from them since.

Sgt. Steven Reich, one of the officers involved, said Ghani was not targeted by law enforcement.

"It was prompted by his mistake, by his phone calling us and staying connected for so long," Reich said. "The people there thought there might be something more to it."

[TomServo]

Muslims are getting used to the scrutiny - and fed up with it, said immigration lawyer Sohail Mohammed.

Tough.

"Now we're about ready to say it's not worth flying every time there's one of these heightened security alerts."

Which means the skies are probably safer.

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[The PeteMan]

they should be happy they haven't all been asked to go home as far as I am concerned we should tighten up even more.

[tet68]

Muslims felt singled out during alert.

Hey, I felt singled out during the alert too.
As a target/victim.

[FourPeas]

Plan ahead. It certainly isn't news that a bunch of dudes with middle eastern names attached our country using airliners. If you have a middle eastern name allow yourself plenty of time to arrive at your destination. It's common sense.

[IncPen]

Since the airwaves here are clogged with 'moderate' Muslims berating their murderous bretheren, I think we should lighten up on all of them.

Oh wait, that's right.

'Moderate' Islam hasn't distinguished itself from 'radical' Islam.

[JennysCool]

I have a REALLY GREAT idea! Why don't Muslims with experiences like this convince their fellows and their congregations to DENOUNCE TERRORISM in no uncertain terms. Up to now, the silence has been deafening, and I imagine that has contributed substantially to the situation.

[tortoise]

I feel singled out every time they raise taxes.

[jocon307]

"Why don't Muslims with experiences like this convince their fellows and their congregations to DENOUNCE TERRORISM in no uncertain terms. Up to now, the silence has been deafening..."

It certainly has, especially here in New Jersey, the home away from home for Muslim terrorists and whiners!

Boo-freaking-hoo. I told everyone they should have gone door to door in Northern New Jersey after 9/11, and they should have. And every day, every single day, the newspapers, especially the Jersey (City) Journal ran a hug a Muslim, love a Muslim, pity a Muslim story. And in every single article there was nothing but criticism of America. If these people are not here to take over our country I don't know why they are here, they don't seem to like it very much.

The woman quoted in the article probably thinks the Mossad and the CIA attacked us on 9/11. I think the only Muslims who "get it" are those unfortunates who were killed by their co-religionists on 9/11 and other days.

[truth_seeker]

As far as feeling mistreated, they should be GRATEFUL.

Chances are they are safer HERE from terrorism, than in their original diabolical homeland, where their muslim brothers blow up people, too.

And they should be GRATEFUL they haven't been sent to internment camps, like the Japanese.

More people killed on 9/11/2001 than Pearl Harbor.

Rarely, if ever, do they express such sentiments--namely gratitude.

[miltonim]

Could that be the Jersey Al Jazeera Journal?

[SandRat]

And they should be GRATEFUL they haven't been sent to internment camps, like the Japanese.

One more attack here and that could well change. May even include the ACLU defenders too.

[Recovering_Democrat]

Gosh I wonder why.

[willyboyishere]

My heart bleeds.......
====the decent(nonterrorist) Muslim/Arab folk are getting their "baptism" as American citizens. Every ethnic group has had to weather this cold water, and these people have no perspective on how hard it was for even European immigrants, like the Irish, who came here without jobs, skills, or means, and had to fight their way tooth and nail into the "mainstream". It would be helpful if someone would try to teach them just how good they've got it, terror alerts or not, but of course, their lawyers aren't going to be the ones to do it.

[ml/nj]

By the time the matter was cleared up, the only flight that would arrive in Egypt in time for the wedding had already taken off.

This line doesn't pass my smell test.

I cannot imagine flying halfway around the world for a wedding, and not planning to arrive a day or two early. I just did a check at travelocity for Newark to Cairo flights for three consecutive days. There were 6, 3, and 6 one stop flights available respectively on the three days I checked.

ML/NJ

[LoudRepublicangirl]

Hey Muslims,
I'd cry for you but I am still crying over the loss of 3000 of my fellow American's and can't seem to feel too bad that you were inconvenienced for a while. I'm sure that those people would prefer to be a little inconvenienced rather than blown up by those who practice this insane religion you seem to uphold so zealously.

[RLK]

When Mohammedan jihad is declared I think it is obvious we should begin arresting Lutherens.

[Euro-American Scum]

Muslims Felt Singled Out During Alert

Liability lawyers can line up on the left side of the line. Hate-crimes lawyers can line up on the right.

Move along. Move along.

[RightWhale]

Felt singled out? Wonder why they ought to feel singled out, maybe it's because all this war stuff was started by their godless, immoral, cowardly terrorism cousins who hide behind tacit-approval noncombatants such as these.