Posted on 05/07/2007 9:28:24 AM PDT by ButThreeLeftsDo
Muslims say when booking a flight, they feel everyone is watching them. Recently six Muslim Imams were removed from a flight in Minneapolis, sparking the national debate: is there such an issue as "flying while Muslim", racially profiling Muslims after 9-11, or is it just prudent? Toledo area Muslims are aware of the controversy and many say they are deeply offended by it.
Here is what happened: six Imams were traveling from the Minneapolis - St. Paul airport. Police say the men where praying in the airport terminal. Some witnesses said they were praying loudly. Passengers became concerned with the repeated use of the word "Allah" during the prayers. Allah is the Arabic word for God and is always recited in prayers.
In addition, passengers became alarmed with the men's seating arrangements, requests by two for seatbelt extensions and alleged discussions about the U.S. involvement in the Iraq war. Passengers reported this as "suspicious behavior". The Imams were then detained, questioned and banned from U.S. Airways flights. So did the passengers over react?
"In this situation, absolutely, they falsely reported." Dr. Zaheer Hasan from Islamic Center of Greater Toledo says flying as a Muslim is disheartening. "As I board a plane, I see all the eyes tracking me. I see numerous visits by the airline crew. It affects me, but I can bear that."
There comes the time and the place, as some Imams endured, that it is too much.
Nadeem Salem says he is always singled out for random security checks when he flies.
"There is something underneath that is driving this that is really disturbing. I do believe it is racial profiling."
The Imams have now filed discrimination suits against the airline and unnamed passengers. Opponents of the suit say suing passengers will discourage others from reporting suspicious behavior, but some Muslims think differently.
"I think if you legitimately are afraid you are going to say something and you are not going to be concerned about whether someone is going to sue you afterwards."
UT student Sarah Alfaham says the suit makes a statement.
"I think that is really important. You can't be just accusing people for no reason."
Meanwhile, attorney Chereffe Kadri has a different take on the issue. "I have a problem with everybody being the eyes and ears because not everyone is trained, not everybody is well informed."
Kadri believes people need to know more before they jump to conclusions. "If you don't know what is normal, typical or ordinary, then how do you know what is out of the ordinary?"
Muslims we talked with say feeling uncomfortable is not reason enough to be kicked off a flight. They say the government needs to better define what suspicious behavior really is. Investigations by the airline and police show the airline and ground crews acted appropriately, but so far, no ruling on the discrimination lawsuit.
Good!!! The more eyes the better.
Then he should take a camel.
Your wife is not alone. Mine is middle-aged, matronly, sweet as can be and looks like the mixture of Scot-Irish, Italian and Cherokee which she is. She gets pulled over 9 in 10 times. One TSA worker even apologized and told her the day's quote of older white women hadn't been filled.!
Which in my mind, was a legit stop and question activity. Never even thought that people would be concerned with stuff like that.
Now I know.
IE, the day's "wasting of effort on people who wouldn't possibly be terrorists while letting people through who should be scrutinized better".
“Muslims say when booking a flight, they feel everyone is watching them.”
I certainly hope so !
Too darn bad!
I would hope that he is, but somehow I doubt they would pass over an 80 year old grandma or a US congressman to do a random security check on someone who belongs to a religion that is our avowed enemy.
The PC idiots in DHS wouldn’t allow that to happen.
“I’m not Muslim, but if I were, who’d know in order to keep a close eye on me?”
Anyone who has spent time among Muslims would recognize you by your hatred-filled eyes.
Delicately... is she hot?
Get used to it moose, we are watching......
I’ve only gotten pulled once, and it was while I was flying in uniform. Guess I just don’t pull off that military look...
Colonel, USAFR
Politely....
She’s quite attractive. 5’8” Blond...Leggy. Must be the Ideal candidate for a security problem.
Well, the airlines say it is a coincidence. But my husband and I have flown many times since 9/11 and we beat your 85%. We are singled out 100% of each time we have flown.
Finally, we were told that our biggest “problem” was that we had purchased one-way tickets when we went to Kansas City, MO when my mother was in the hospital. We were not sure when we’d be returning (because of the gravity of her illness) so we figured we’d just buy the ticket back to Chicago when we made sure mom was okay.
Mom was not okay and died eight weeks later but not before we had made a number of trips back and forth — round trip purchases for weekend visits to hospital. We learned to recognize those bold face “Ss” down in the right hand corner and sure enough, we got the special treatment.
Imagine if we were not so PC here in the usa, what would happen then? I think Muslims would agree, being watched ain't all that bad.
Yesterday afternoon, returning from a weekend in Toronto, we got pulled over for a "random security check" at the Sarnia/Port Huron border.
WAAAAHHH!! "Traveling while Jewish!"
Trying........to.......squeeze.........a...........tear.........
uggghhhh...
Nope, can’t do it...
My eyes may not be good, but 90% of my attention will be towards them.
If the shoe bomb fits...wear it.
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.