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 cant just accuse anybody whos of Asian appearance and treat them like a terrorist.
"If somebody is threatening anybody its understandable, but when they are just travelling for their own needs its 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 Britains announcement that an alleged terror plot was foiled about ten days ago.
I'm warming to that idea too, Gretchen. The West has become so PC we're dooming ourselves.
Actually, in this case every one was upset because Jackie Chan and Chow Yun-Fat got on board. But usually you are right re: this matter.
Talent you have. The stanza about Joe Louis was the best.
"It's just another difference between Brit English and American English, not a PC euphamism."
Ah, learn something new every day.
Maybe they can get that flying horse back
With everybody having to take down their pants and bend over for inspection before boarding a plane?
Piss off you wanker.
I consider myself a "Native American" - I was born right here in America in 1956!
You do, but in Britain there are a lot of asians, and the vast majority of them are Pakistanis and Indians.
PROOF READING is our friend.
I'm sure everybody translated my 9/22 typo to read 9/11.
Umm... because they know geography?
Semper Fidelis
Of course Pakistanis are asians. Public school education?
See post #49.
If I were Asian, a true Asian, I'd be taking offense at all this confuso-speak about Arabs being Asiatic.
Muslims need to stop blowing up planes.
Amen!
That makes as much sense as calling Colin Powell and African American.
Teresa Heinz is an African American.
Turkey is in Asia?
Off to re-education camp for you!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.