Diversity of Opinion on Imams' Dispute With Airline [WaPo Whitewash alert]

Washington Post ^ | December 8, 2006 | by Kari Lydersen, Washington Post Staff Writer

[aculeus]

MINNEAPOLIS, Dec. 7 -- For years, the Minneapolis-St. Paul area has been known for its liberalism and tolerance, especially when it comes to religion. Many Muslims, including the largest population of Somalis outside of Mogadishu, make their home in the Twin Cities. The area just elected the nation's first Muslim congressman, Keith Ellison (D).

"We are well known for acceptance at a period in time when much of America feels like an unwelcome place" for Muslims, said Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak. "This is a place where Muslims are succeeding and thriving in leadership positions."

So, last month's removal of six imams from a Phoenix-bound US Airways flight at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport has prompted hand-wringing, finger-pointing, calls for greater sensitivity to religious diversity and more communication between non-Muslims and Muslims.

Police and airline officials say the imams, who attended a national conference of Muslim clerics, were removed after exhibiting suspicious behavior, including uttering anti-American statements, changing their seat assignments so that they would be scattered around the airplane and asking for seat-belt extenders, which could be used as weapons. Valerie Wunder, a spokeswoman for US Airways, said yesterday that the airline has completed its investigation of the incident and has concluded that the flight crew was justified in its actions.

But the imams say the behavior in question was merely quiet prayers before boarding the flight.

[Titan Magroyne]

Whut???? Can you direct me to the particular thread in which I assume you were "corrected"? I'll admit the reminders you had been posting, the by-their-fruits-shall-ye-know-them stuff, gave my dialup a workout, but I also appreciate the greater good they served.

From the article: "There are words like 'Inshallah' -- God willing -- or 'Mashallah' that come out of my mouth all the time," she said. "How uneducated are people that they can't differentiate prayer from nefarious activity?*** This really could have been my brother or dad -- anyone with a beard who looks brown or Arab."

***Define "irony".