Posted on 08/26/2007 11:51:08 AM PDT by traumer
US Sikh organisations have expressed anger over changes allowing airport security staff to "pat down" turbans.
Until now turbans have been searched or removed only to resolve an unexplained alarm from an airport metal detector.
But now security will have greater discretion to inspect turbans so that they can be manually checked for objects such as non-metallic weapons.
However Sikh groups have responded to the new measures by describing them as outrageous and discriminatory.
Sikh men wear turbans to cover their hair, which they leave uncut in accordance with their religion.
Organisations representing Sikhs have only recently completed a publicity campaign to explain the significance of the kirpan, or religious sword, to security officials.
The Transportation Security Administration insisted the new policy was necessary to counter the threat of improvised bombs and chemical weapons.
In Britain, the government said recently that private searches of turbans might be necessary as part of airport security.
Tango Sierra, laundry-heads.
Don’t like it? Go Greyhound.
Having gone from that to having to remove my shoes and loosen my belt, I find it hard to feel sympathy for anybody feeling "culturally entitled" to a turban. Sorry.
Let’s get real on this one.
People wearing Turbans in the West are almost exclusively Sikhs. Sikhs are good people and fought Muslims for ages.
It’s unfortunate their Turbans make them look like Muslims.
Most Muslim terrorists in the West wear Western clothes. This was true for 9/11, that was true in London, Madrid etc.
Wahhabi Sunni Arab Muslims (and that’s most of the terrorists here) don’t wear Turbans. They wear little knitted skull caps or “sheets”. Sunni Clerics also don’t wear Turbans but funny conical hats or again skullcaps or sheets.
Shia Terrorists are almost always in Western attire and the only Shias wearing Turbans are the clerics, who wear an long caftan and cape. They are easily discernible from Sikhs.
The only Muslim people really wearing Turbans are Pakistani/Afghani Taliban. But I have never seen them in this traditional attire in the West. As I said Terrorists with Turbans at an Airport is a extremly unlikely event.
Look #5
My religion provides for self preservation by checking for concealed bombs
Would it be more palatable to the Sikhs if someone told them that the authorities are worried more about Muslims dressing up in Sikh attire and packing explosives?
Security is far more important than dress codes and the likes.
In these days, explosives that are hard to detect without intrusive examination, can be availed by terrorists. It is a very reasonable proposition for agencies to be allowed to search passengers in the most detailed way possible.
I have to agree. Sikhs are really touchy about their turbans, but everybody has to put up with this kind of thing now.
Have them take them off and run them through the X-Ray machine. Problem solved.
I remember around 1995 or 96 I ran into the airport terminal at the Sacramento Metro (now International) Airport and asked the ticket guy if I could go on the plane because I had something important for one of the passengers.
Actually, I was taking my soon-to-be boss some Mrs. Fields Chocolate Chip Cookies in a brown bag.
They never even questioned what I had in the bag or looked at my i.d. or anything.
I went onboard and handed my prospective boss the bag of cookies. And oh, by the way, I did get the job.
But then Clinton was president and we were all safe! (sarcasm)
Excellent point about a genuine security concern.
Sadly, one of the few people killed in the largely non-existent “anti-Muslim backlash” after 9/11 was a Sikh gas station attendant in TX.
Sikh history is quite interesting. They started off as pacifists and only converted to militarism when it became obvious that all pacifism would get them was extermination.
It's not that easy. That turban ain't one piece like a ball cap. It's one looooooonnnnng piece of cloth wrapped wround their head.
Or start a Sikh Airlines.
Everywhere!
If I am not totally off, I think it’s six metres.
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