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."

[observer5]

Maybe if Muslims in general would condemm terrorism in any shape or form that would help, but no! So what do you guys expect. IDIOTS!

[EggsAckley]

Rehab Elmoslemany

Who makes up these names?!?

[tet68]

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.


People don't believe me, but after the coming mass terror
attack, these people will BE GRATEFUL to be interned for their own safety!

[HitmanLV]

I'm an italian looking fellow (5'7, 185lbs, dark hair, always wear black) and my looks appear to range from european, central or south american, or even middle eastern. Since 9-11, I have consistently been scrutinized more by airport security because I am just a suspicious looking character.

I always travel alone. Indeterminate ethnic background. I never check in luggage, just a small carry-on. I always make the kind of small talk that somebody who is nervous might make, mostly because I'm friendly and I'm an oddball.

The treatment doesn't bother me, and actually it's a backhanded compliment! Two quick stories:

1. December 2002 I was flying out of JFK back home to Vegas. My carryon was too thick and the women at the gate (I already made it through security) asked me if there was a PC in there. They asked me to take it out and carry it in with the PC bag, so the carryon would fit in the overhead bin. They were all friendly and nice and we got along very well. But they made me go through my bad a few times at the gate, getting it out, zipping it up, looking at the pc, putting the pc in my pc bag, etc. One of the ladies was particularly nice to me and apologized for the inconvenience, and I just quipped back 'Are you kidding, all the women on this place now think I'm some kind of lethal weapon! You guys have done more for my sex appeal in 5 mins than I have done in 5 years!' They all laughed hard, and the nice one upgraded me to first class just for being such a sweetie! (If only domestic flight attendants and staff were as hot as they were in the 60s, I'd clean up, I swear!)

2. I ALWAYS get flagged aside for the wand at the metal detectors, and for a light pat down. The person who usually does it of course tends to mention that he will touch me in a 'private' area, and if it's ok. Whenever they ask, I always point to one of the female security people (I invariably pick the youngest or most attractive) and say 'ok, but can she do it instead?' Haha! Always gets a laugh, and a smile and a blush from the lady I compliment!

These guys have a tough job. Cut them slack, respect them, do as they say and don't joke in threatening way (you know, never say 'hijack' on a plane sort of thing), but have a little good humor about the situation and treat them NICELY! People who complain, whine, berate, or bluster about being racially profiled, etc, end up getting decidedly sub-par treatment, and it's easy to see why.

[geedee]

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.

That's what I was thinking. Southern Baptists didn't knock the Twin Towers down. If they had, the Bible-toters would be under scrutiny. This scrutiny has nothing to do with race or religion . . . just facts.

[attiladhun2]

The reason most Muslims haven't distanced themselves from the 9/11 crowd is because most Muslims agree with them secretly, if not openly. A Christian who takes his religion seriously becomes a preacher, a priest, or a monk. A Jew will take his dietary laws more seriously. A Muslim will become a jihadist and learn how to make bombs. It's really that simple.

[cajungirl]

They felt singled out??? Goood! Our guys are doing their jobs. I would feel bad for them if they had been loud and insistant on condeming jihad. But they remain silent. So I remain tickled they are singled out.

[MoodyBlu]

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.

Let us not forget the 800-1000 American military and civilians murdered by the jihadists in the last 30 years from PanAm 103 to the USS Cole. Too many Americans focus on 9-11 as if it was the beginning not realizing that we have been at war with radical Islam for many years now.

MoodyBlu

[Puppage]

Muslims Felt Singled Out During Alert

Maybe because it wasn't 19 Swedes that crashed a plane into the WTC's. Welcome to life in a post 9/11 world. Keep up the good work law enforcement!!!

God bless you.

[SandRat]

These guys have a tough job. Cut them slack, ....

OK, but they have to do something too.

1. Learn what the Medal of Honor is, what it looks like what it means to have one and still be alive. Spread the word, no more telling a retired service member who's still alive and earned that award that they can't board carrying or wearing such a prohibited dangerous item like that. They've already done this little stunt. Remember surviving family members for posthumous awards are goring to be carrying, not clutching this tightly to their chest and boarding.
2. Get the Guard troops around you to educate you about what medical leave is, medical profiles, military medical orders for self treatment when on medical leave. If a wounded soldier has all the paperwork from a military physician that says he needs wire cutters to cut the wires holding his jaw should he vomit an not drown in his own vomit obey the doctors orders don't tell him he can't board with them and endanger his life through stupidity. They've also done this little stunt.
3. Pray to the Almighty Lord God above that none of you pulls any more stunts like this. The military folks that I know have said the next time it's done in their presence, the offender and the offenders supervisor is going to think they've been sent back to the motivation platoon at Paris Island 4 times in a row.

[small voice in the wilderness]

I wish it wasn't this way, Elmoslemany, I really do. But it is, and it's not likely to change for the foreseeable future. That's reality. So, you have a choice. Get rid of the garb that brings scrutiny to you, lose the ties that are binding your peaceful branch of Islam with the radical bastards who want to destroy us, or live in a land where you are the norm, not the exception. Sorry, those are your choices,right or wrong. It's just the way it is.

[Some hope remaining.]

Yeah, cry me a river.

[Ukiapah Heep]

"Muslims are getting used to the scrutiny - and fed up with it"

Then they should leave.

[Ukiapah Heep]

Same story here in Cleveland, with Dennis Kucinich and the Plain Dealer (aka Al Jazeera). The best answer is to kick em' all out. Give 'em May Wests and let 'em swim. Second best, barbed wire around "Little Arabia". Dennis can join his friends there.

[Ukiapah Heep]

Same story here in Cleveland, with Dennis Kucinich and the Plain Dealer (aka Al Jazeera). The best answer is to kick em' all out. Give 'em May Wests and let 'em swim. Second best, barbed wire around "Little Arabia". Dennis can join his friends there.

[Ukiapah Heep]

Same story here in Cleveland, with Dennis Kucinich and the Plain Dealer (aka Al Jazeera). The best answer is to kick em' all out. Give 'em May Wests and let 'em swim. Second best, barbed wire around "Little Arabia". Dennis can join his friends there.

[Hotdog]

Very well put sir...thanks for the post!

[TC Rider]

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

Don't like it? Don't immigrate ingrate.

[katana]

Message for Mr. Sohail: Sorry for the hassles, but none of you have seen anything like our ugly side yet and you'd better pray to whatever deity you choose that you never do.

There's a nice little desert resort called Manzanar which could be reopened without too much fuss. The people who were guests there in the 40's turned out to be as or more patriotic as any Americans, something which, from the stories of street dancing in Dearborn on 9/11/2001, it doesn't appear can be said of our muslim citizens of Arab extraction.

[Viking2002]

All I ever hear from Muslims is this repeated bitching and moaning about being 'singled out', but very little condemnation is heard from them about the alleged 'perversion' of their religion by fundamentalists. Until militant Baptists or blue-haired grandmas named Sadie start threatening to blow up dams, power plants, and gas subways, then we're all going to look a little longer at those who fit the description of the known enemy.