"Why is everyone looking at me?"
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.
I am waiting as well, but I do think that we have to start pressing the point and help visitors to our country understand that it's different over here and violence will not do.
This is VERY true.
"Why is everyone looking at me?"
c’mon Ex, they’re profiling alright...they probably give “the wanding” to all the hot women...
yes, that’s a compliment...
Truth is truth.
The Flying Imams, the Westboro Baptist Church - they’re HOPING that someone will start a fight so they can claim more victim status.
In the case of the Flying Imams (which I still think sounds like a bad circus act), they are hoping also to bring suit to intimidate anyone who stands in their way.
-are these MEN who are searching her?
“Muslims say when booking a flight, they feel everyone is watching them.”
Hey Muslims! News flash for you! ... We ARE watching you, very closely. If you feel ‘watched’ then you’re starting to get the hint. You don’t like it? Then start standing up to your radical freaks, loudly and often. Until then, we ARE watching you.
bump...’til later
-these days ya just never know who’s gonna hit on you. Scary.
Easy solution.
Go Greyhound and leave the flying to us.
When I travel international, I’m usually with the boss. He’s a bit bigger than me and always gets singled out while I procede on. They must figure that I’m the brains and he’s the muscle....
;-)
“Muslims say when booking a flight, they feel everyone is watching them”
that’s because... THEY ARE!
Too bad the legalism of Islam requires their members to dress like terrorists.
The airline absolutely did the right thing. This was a stunt, calculated to intimidate both the passengers and the airline, and to make us all afraid to speak up when Muslims behave in a threatening manner. I just hope the airline continues to do the right thing.
Could it be being a member of death cult and acting as a group in a very suspicious manner had anything do with this? Anyone? Buhler?
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