Houston (Arabic) Rapper Fired As Baggage Screener

Atlanta Journal-Constitution ^ | 7.14.05 | PAM EASTON

[Arpege92]

Let's put this "wanna be" next to a few real gang bangers and see how quickly he wets his pants.

[armymarinemom]

Oh looky looky.. he has his very own webpage.. (gag)

I wonder how long it will take them to change the contact information on there. The CD cover really stinks.

[mhking]

Were you on TV the other night Michael? If so, how did it go?

Yeah, I was on O'Reilly last Friday. Went OK...I even got a couple of words in edgewise this time...[g]

[Brad’s Gramma]

Freak. DANGEROUS freak.....

[M203M4]

Pretty sick to be milking this as just another gimmick (this being the most charitable interpretation).

We need a rap about taking a dump in their towel, and using pages from a koran to wipe. Man, that would rule...

Oh wait, that isn't as PC as flying planes into buildings. My bad.

[Publius6961]

You can almost hear the money rolling in from CD sales as a result of all this, can't you?

Only if he lived long enough.

[Selkie]

Thanks for posting this,
as usual Jihad Watch had interesting commentary on this revolting story:

July 14, 2005
"Arabic Assassin" fired as Houston Airport baggage screener
"Houston Rapper Fired As Baggage Screener," from AP, with thanks to the Constantinopolitan Irredentist:

HOUSTON -- When Bassam Khalaf raps, he's the Arabic Assassin. His unreleased CD, "Terror Alert," includes rhymes about flying a plane into a building and descriptions of himself as a "crazy, suicidal Arabic ... equipped with bombs."
Until last week, Khalaf also worked as a baggage screener at George Bush Intercontinental Airport.

"I've been screening your bags for the past six months, and you don't even know it," said Khalaf, who also said Thursday that he is not really a terrorist and that his rhymes are exaggerations meant to gain publicity.


Of course, of course, Khalaf. Everyone knows that jihad is a spiritual struggle and that those bombs and plane hijackings you were talking about are metaphors for the struggle to bring the soul into conformity with the will of Allah. Strike down those towers of sin, blow up those buses of bad habits, brother.

But you'll have to forgive Andrea McCauley. She's a bit literal-minded, you see. In the wake of the London bombings, everyone's a little skittish. Some people are even beginning to think that "slay the unbelievers" (Qur'an 9:5) might be understood by some Muslims -- a tiny minority, you understand -- to mean "slay the unbelievers."

Yes, yes, Bassam, I know it's farfetched. Ha ha! Can you imagine that anyone could be so ignorant and Islamophobic? Everyone knows that it only meant what it says a long, long time ago, and that now all Muslims understand it to mean "Hold interfaith meetings with unbelievers."

Andrea McCauley, a spokeswoman for the regional Transportation Security Administration office in Dallas, said the agency checks criminal records before hiring screeners, but it does not investigate what people do in their spare time.
"We have eyes and ears in the workplace," McCauley said. "Once we discovered these Web sites, we fired him."

An Internet search of Khalaf's name brings up Web sites that feature his obscene, violent and misogynistic raps that threaten to fly a plane into a building on Sept. 11, 2005.


Here you go: "I CHOSE THIS NAME BECAUSE IT FITS ME. IM ARABIC AND ILL ASSASSINATE YO A**. PLUS I FEEL ITS REAL CONTROVERSIAL AND YOU KNOW WHAT THEY SAY "CONTROVERSY SELLS"

The mp3 that is up at this site is extremely vile and obscene, so don't say you weren't warned. But it doesn't seem to contain the September 11, 2005 threat, although I couldn't make it all out. There did seem to be some complaints to the effect that Khalaf is not a member of the Taliban, contrary to allegations. And of course I have no trouble believing that. The Taliban would have announced that they were going to "assassinate yo a**" much more elegantly, and with copious Qur'an quotes.

Khalaf, 21, was hired on Jan. 16 and fired July 7, according to a TSA termination letter that cited his "authorship of songs which applaud the efforts of the terrorists on September 11th, encourage and warn of future acts of terrorism by you, discuss at length and in grave and alarming detail various criminal acts you intend to commit, state your belief that the U.S. government should be overthrown, and finally warn that others will die on September 11, 2005."
Khalaf, who was born in Houston and is of Palestinian descent, said working as a baggage screener was the best paying job he's ever had. He said he hoped to use any extra money he earned to produce his CD.

"I kept my music and my job separate. I told a couple of people who I thought was cool with me at work that I rapped, but I never sat there and told them lyrics or anything," said Khalaf. "I guess somebody probably told them that I had a Web site."

Khalaf said his terrorist-themed rhymes are more about marketing. He called his songs art and pointed to other rappers who have rhymed about terrorism. He specifically cites Eminem's song, "My Dad's Gone Crazy," which discusses blowing everything on the map up except Afghanistan and says: "There's no tower too high, no plane that I can't learn how to fly."

"Controversy sells," Khalaf said. "It brings a lot of attention. Everybody wants to label all Arabics terrorists just because a couple of people messed up. Well, I'm going to play along with that character. I'm going to let you think I'm one."


"Arabics"?

No, Bassam, I don't think you're the one. But I don't think anyone should be taking any chances with you and your monstrous terrorism chic.

"
http://www.jihadwatch.org/archives/2005/07/007157print.html

[jayhorn]

Let's put this "wanna be" next to a few real gang bangers and see how quickly he wets his pants.

I believe some of our friendly local MS 13 amigos could help Bassam Khalaf out with some of that "bling" he's got.

IAH security is a joke. Just the other day I was there watching three Tupac wanna-bes with badges standing around debating when and for how long their next break should be. If I didn't know any better, I'd say they were hiring directly out of halfway houses or something. I'm afraid to think what goes on with my luggage outside public view.

[Fiddlstix]

This IDIOT lives in Texas! Un- F***ing -Believable!
The MuzSlime B*st*ed!

Solution?
Simple!

Long Walk off a Short Pier!
Problem Solved!

So.......
You like "Rap", huh?

Well, try this.............
Muzzie....

Wrap yourself with some dynamite..........
Be sure and "test it" first.........
I would recommend that you go somewhere secluded........
(Like the middle of a 40 acre field outside of town)
Then "Hit the button" to make sure everything functions properly......

Congratulations!
Well Done!

(Makes a nice big boom sound, don't ya think?)
Now! That's what I call good Rap (wrap) Music!

Bye, Bye........
MuzSlime

[commonasdirt]

"If you can't sing your own song while on line waiting to be screened, then that should be a clue."

LOL Very good

[bannie]

Quacks like a duck...

[anymouse]

Hey Flyer, looks like you'll have less work, as this POS won't be losing luggage at IAH anymore. :)

[Cougar66]

I cant type what I wouold like to on this. I am fairly new here and dont know whats ok to post and what is not. But Im sure most think the same that I am thinking about this POS.

[Brad’s Gramma]

Great post!!!

[VeniVidiVici]

One thing we must ask ourselves is what were this young man's qualifications to be a TSA baggage handler?

[Wiggins]

I have my own song for Arabic Rappers like this one. It's called "Accidental Discharge".