Posted on 12/30/2004 2:08:16 PM PST by Marine Inspector
Carloads of Muslim New Yorkers, all U.S. citizens, were detained for hours by federal agents after they returned from an Islamic convention held in Toronto over the weekend. A Pace University student said she was asked by a border patrol officer at the Lewiston-Queenston Bridge crossing whether the wire in her bra was a weapon. A white Flushing resident said U.S. officials refused to tell her why she was being held for eight hours.
"It's just appalling," said Jean Tassi, 53. "If I didn't have on a head covering, I would have never been stopped."
A U.S. Customs and Border Protection official said agents acted on intelligence that conventioneers may have terrorists in their cars.
"We understand that most of these conferences are legitimate, but it is our duty, it is incumbent on us to verify the identity of everybody entering the U.S. - even citizens," said Kristi Clemens, a Washington spokeswoman. "I understand their frustration."
More than 30 people had attended "Reviving the Islamic Spirit" convention at the Skydome that was billed as a spiritually uplifting event.
"I refuse to be treated like this in my own country," said Miriam Soliman, 20, a Brooklyn-born finance major who said she was interrogated about her underwire bra.
Security checks at airports are for safety reasons on the flight, not based on destination. A search for a bra explosive device would be rather silly at a border crossing point, in the context of how it allegedly occurred. Are you afraid she got a gun in Canada to smuggle back into the US or something? It's not like she would have a harder time with finding weapons here, so it's not a question of security, it's a question of harassment (or incompetence, or not admitting all of the story).
If people are so worked up about letting an American citizen back into the US because some citizens have committed terrorist acts, why are we not rounding up all American citizens that are already in the country (or at least the Muslim ones)? And who here thinks that an operation to round up AMERICAN CITIZENS who are Muslim would be successful and make us more safe? And what about those who then lie and say they aren't Muslim (as some posters have said they are obligated to do)? Who here thinks that organizing a secret police organization to ferret them out would help the situation?
If not these, then what IS proposed?
Good point.
If only the victims would give in and do what the perps want, there'd be no problem. Political assassination or terrorism is so much nicer... </sarc>
You can never agree to give up your rights as an American Citizen, so long as you remain a citizen. By the way I think you are a disgruntled low level employee who thinks they have more clout than they really have. But thats just me.
But note, if you keep reading, it takes two or three witnesses before you can convict and stone someone of leaving the faith, not just a single accuser. Compassionate, eh?
Of course, the New Testament ways of dealing with "wayward brothers" is different, but if we're going to pull stuff out from Islam and wave it around, it's easy to see why someone could get the wrong impression about Christianity!
You "erred" by not putting this in larger type and/or bolding it. I'm correcting the error...
If the CBP agents "err" and go beyond them, it is simply an error - but you correct errors, you don't sanction the use of them.
The commandments in the Quran, on the other hand, are directed right at the reader.
Let's see, right before that one...
Leviticus 26:8-- "And ye shall chase your enemies, and they shall fall before you by the sword."
Yes, it's enemies, being chased. No mention prior to that of "enemies who have attacked you" or the like. Several places, God commands unprovoked attacks, if I'm not mistaken.
These are the Lord's words to Moses in mount Sinai. It's not out of context.
Yes you can. Sign a contract the takes your rights away, and you just agreed to give them up. A military contract, an employment contract, ect…
By the way I think you are a disgruntled low level employee who thinks they have more clout than they really have. But thats just me.
That's OK, I think you’re an idiot, but that's just me.
That's a very good point, and if I believed the OT and Quran were equivalent, I wouldn't be capitalizing the Christian Lord, or I would capitalize the Moslem one. But my point is that from the outside, it takes a lot of interpretation to know exactly what various people will get from reading each. And we know that not everyone interprets the same way, and we also know that various "brands" of Islam have various weights on the Quran versus other sources (i.e., even if the Quran is supreme, its interpretation can be altered by the weighting [or regard for] of other influences [e.g., Sufism, etc.]).
"The Quran commands them to kill the non-Muslims, and that is exactly what they are doing."
Besides the fact that they seem to be killing a lot of muslims lately also - exactly where are you quoting this from ?
I'd like to see just how YOUR interpretation and the fanatics interpretations coincide.
(God, Country and Corps! In that Order.)
Beware...some FReepers seem a bit worried about those who don't put country before God. To wit, from this thread: "MY worry with the muslim population is their loyalty to this country. They seem more driven by their religion than their citizenship."
Maybe we are worried because their god wants to destroy our Country and put it under Islamic rule.
The last time I checked, the only terrorists who blew up American buildings these days were Muslims and the only people continuing to threaten to do so were Muslim.
Every Muslim isn't a terrorist but every terrorist these days is a Muslim.
Consequently I'd be more than happy to round them up and deport them and I certainly don't want any more Muslims coming here or converting to Islam here.
As for the "inconvenience" these Muslims suffered at the border, consider it payback for all the idiotic inconveniences people who are obviously NOT Middle-Eastern terrorist types, like little old ladies from Minnesota, have to go through because our government is so idiotically politically correct.
Whether a faith is The True & Correct faith or not - and I do not believe Islam is that faith - is irrelevant to whether or not its adherents enjoy the freedom of conscience America is founded upon.
But, if we're going to wave around out-of-context verses, and try to use them as justification for religious bigotry, as you say...let's scrutinize some other holy texts too.
There were 19 hijackers aboard the airplanes on September 11th. I'm sure I can come up with 19 Christians who've committed criminal acts using a religious justification. Abortion clinic bombers, murderers of doctors, that woman in Texas who dismembered her baby... Shall we then curse and revile Christianity? Of course not.
"Fear the government which fears your guns. God, guts, and guns made America great"
I take it you would have the right to keep and bear arms invalidated for citizens who are Muslim ?
No. Because if I had my way, Islam and American citizenship or legal residence would be incompatible
Really? Timothy McVeigh was Muslim? The Weathermen were Muslim? Or how far back do you want to go in "therse days" - September 10, 2001, and no further, just to make a false point?
Consequently I'd be more than happy to round them up and deport them
That position disgusts me. You ought to deport yourself, for holding such an un-American belief.
As for the "inconvenience" these Muslims suffered at the border, consider it payback
Ah... Again, we see liberal group-guilt thinking. Do you also belive all white people ought to pay black people reparations for slavery?
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof
United States Constituition, Amendment I
Bzzzt! Wrong, un-American, thank you for playing.
If I were a Patriotic Muslim American I might welcome the chance to cooperate and make a statement about Muslim Americans. I might also welcome added security that protects me as well. I’m glad to see added security at the airport protecting this country.
Profiling makes sense. It is idiotic not to use it. So do ID cards. Am I sorry to see this country come to it? You bet. But I would be sorrier to see another terror attack.
"Only the guilty have something to hide"?
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