Posted on 08/21/2006 2:40:17 PM PDT by A. Pole
The decision to remove two men from a flight before it took off from the Spanish port of Malaga for the English city of Manchester after fellow passengers feared they might be terrorists was condemned by Muslim leaders in Britain, it was reported yesterday. Some among the 150 passengers on board the Monarch Airlines flight demanded that staff remove two men after they expressed alarm about their behaviour on Wednesday, a spokesman for the airline said.
Cabin crew informed Spanish authorities of the passengers’ fears and the men - who apparently looked Asian and spoke Arabic - were taken off the flight and questioned by police. The pair flew back to Manchester later in the week and were not arrested by British police. Khalid Mahmoud, a governing Labour Party MP, told The Guardian the decision was "hugely irrational". "You can’t just accuse anybody who’s of Asian appearance and treat them like a terrorist.
"If somebody is threatening anybody it’s understandable, but when they are just travelling for their own needs it’s not. "People just need to calm down." The Islamic Human Rights Commission told the newspaper that "ever-increasing Islamophobia" was to blame for the removal of the men.
The Daily Mirror, meanwhile, quoted Muhammad Abdul Bari, head of the Muslim Council of Britain, as saying: "While it is sensible for all of us to be vigilant, it is not sensible to pick on Muslims simply because they happen to dress differently or appear to be speaking to each other in Arabic." Travellers have been increasingly jittery in the wake of Britain’s announcement that an alleged terror plot was foiled about ten days ago.
"Or like calling French or Germans or Italians Europeans because they live on the continent of Europe."
Nope. That makes sense. However Asian has multiple meanings and depending on the usage it can be confusing.
What continent does the Middle East sit on?
Israel, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, and everything east of them sit on the continent of Asia. Brits call Chinese, Thais, and such "Orientals"
They were wearing heavy coats even though it was warm, and were acting suspiciously while being dressed inappropriately. The media keeps harping on the speech, when it was much more than that.
"Nope. That makes sense. However Asian has multiple meanings and depending on the usage it can be confusing."
Yes, but it was a UAE article about a European flight to Britain, so the word usage was British. And even if the reader didn't realize that, a little geographical knowledge should have cleared it up. (sorry if I'm sounding snarky, it's hot in TX today.)
I travel frequently. I scan the waiting area in the airport. I can guarantee you that if I EVER see one of those bearded freaks, hear somone jabbering in Farsi, or see those head-scarved or hooded so-called women about to board a flight I am scheduled to take, I am changing my ticket, no matter what it costs to do so!
Reminds me of an experience I had last week. A woman with a very thick accent informed me that she has lived here TWENTY SEVEN YEARS and yet she can hardly speak English. Enough already. If you want to speak jibberish then go back to whatever country they speak it in. If you are here, then speak English ALL the time! My great grandfather gave up German and never taught my grandfather to speak it. I'm sick of this foreign tongue garbage! I can't even understand the order taker at MacDonalds!!!!!
Thank you for that link. I passed it on to friends.
The Brits were formerly in the habit of calling them Kafir and Wogs ~
This is just more of the trouble euphemisms will get you into.
Thanks, but you give me too much credit. This was a parody played on the Howard Stern show. It goes with the Sinatra song Strangers in the Night.
http://www.manbottle.com/audio_library/sinatra_-_strangers_on_my_flight
That's right, Mullah, or Imam, or Mufti, or whatever you call yourself. Islamophobia increases every day because of the behavior of Muslim 'believers', not because the 'infidels' are unreasonable. The war is coming. I can't wait.
The real problem with "Asian" as used by Brits is that it is overbroad.
It includes Middle Eastern, Russian, Indian, Southeast Asian, and "Oriental."
So if you are referring to one of those subgroups (e.g. "looked middle eastern") the only reason to use "Asian" is to obfuscate.
Oddly, weren't many of those muslim, arabic speakers who hijacked the 9-11 AFRICAN (from Egypt)? (Though they, like the subjects of the article "looked middle eastern")
Thank you for the link
I'm not buying it...I don't care if I have to draw my own map...
These terrorists are Middle Eastern, as opposed to the Far Eastern...And that doesn't include India...
In that neck of the woods, we have A-rabs, Indians and Orientals...And a handful of Israelis...And we know what group the terrorists live in...And it's not the Oriental (Asian) group...And the MSM knows this as well...
That's cause all the terrorists were green eyed blonde American's.
[ "If somebody is threatening anybody it’s understandable, but when they are just travelling for their own needs it’s not. "People just need to calm down." The Islamic Human Rights Commission told the newspaper that "ever-increasing Islamophobia" was to blame for the removal of the men. ]
<<-- they are talking to the HAND....(cutting toenails)...
Thought you knew an event was coming up on September 22, afterall August 22 is supposed to be SOMETHING,...then I realized your fingers slipped. ;)
You know what muslim leaders (no caps on purpose) can do?
They can kiss my pale pink Irish arse!
""You can’t just accuse anybody who’s of Asian appearance and treat them like a terrorist. "
I reserve my God given right to feel uncomfortable about whomever I choose. And you have the right to ESAD!
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