Two imams pulled from a plane in Tennessee
By HawaiiGopher
@HawaiiGopher (1009)
Belgium
May 7, 2011 11:30am CST
What was your first thought when reading the title? "Ah, it's good to see that the airport security has managed to catch those terrorists!"
Well, it turns out these men were not terrorists:
[i]An airline is investigating the removal of two imams from a flight headed to North Carolina, ostensibly because passengers felt uncomfortable with their presence of the pair -- both clad in Islamic attire.
The two -- who hold high religious positions in the Muslim community -- were headed to North Carolina for a conference on prejudice against Muslims, or Islamaphobia. The meeting is sponsored by the North American Imams Federation.[/i]
http://edition.cnn.com/2011/TRAVEL/05/07/muslims.kicked.off.plane/index.html?hpt=T2
It does make you think though: look at the type of irrational fear these terror attacks have incited. I mean, even on myLot I've seen threads talking about "creeping Sharia in America" and "Muslims are permitted deceive according to the Qu'ran." It's seriously sad to see this type of bigotry. This very situation is a great example of pure idiocy: (1) the men were re-screened by the TSA after already being screened - what, did the TSA not do their job properly the first time; (2) the men were in typical Muslim attire - would Muslim terrorists seriously be stupid enough to make themselves stand out that much (look at what the 7/7 London bombers were wearing: http://www.historycommons.org/events-image /606_london_bombers2050081722-10077.jpg).
What are your thoughts on this?
1 person likes this
4 responses
@matersfish (6306)
• United States
7 May 11
America would also have egg all over its face had bin Laden not been in Pakistan.
When hindsight shows someone was in the wrong, it's always "profiling" or "irrational" etc.
Have at it.
But the TSA are utter morons. They're also half molesting little kids and sweating old people and hauling anyone off to the back room if they so much as have an elevated heart rate during the over-the-top screening measures.
Sorry these guys were inconvenienced. Honestly. I hope they weren't put out too badly. But these guys with the TSA are doing this crap to a lot more than just Muslims.
I get it, though. It's like this all over and always will be. White guy gets smacked around with a club and peppered, the locals might run it as a footnote. Cop beats a black guy, it's a nationwide issue, with protests in the streets and 1,000 baby Sharptons making careers for themselves.
When you can cite discrimination, it's always the sexier story.
1 person likes this
@HawaiiGopher (1009)
• Belgium
7 May 11
Do you not believe it was "profiling" or "irrational" to pull two Muslim men out of a plane simply for their attire?
1 person likes this
@HawaiiGopher (1009)
• Belgium
8 May 11
Alright, I guess I'll make it myself more explicit. I, personally, find it extremely irrational to think a Muslim terrorist would go out of his way to wear typical Muslim attire on a plane considering the images the media has pounded into our skulls ("the protests here in the USA calling for Sharia,""those nuts over in London," "the traditional attire is synonymous with the we-want-to-kill-you-all guys"). I don't doubt that the fear is genuine, but it's completely unfounded. The Muslim community is composed of over a billion Muslims, the media exposes us to the fringe extremists. What about those extremists that try to attack us? They tend to be Western-educated, wearing Western clothes.
@matersfish (6306)
• United States
8 May 11
If that's how you can reconcile it, that's how you reconcile it. Be explicit all you'd like. That's about you.
If someone else cannot, if someone else can sit on an airplane and not feel 100% comfortable and safe and think "well, a terrorist wouldn't wear that!", well, I can't bust their balls for that.
We're not talking about folks sitting in their living rooms and mulling over some data about Muslim dress to make a conclusion and passing judgment on others. These folks were in the moment.
Maybe they shouldn't be flying if that's the fear they have. But I can't call them irrational for it, much less "extremely" so or think they're bigots for it.
@sierras236 (2739)
• United States
7 May 11
The TSA pulled them because of the Pilot and the passengers. I get why they did it. Yes, it is fear-based assumptions.
But many still remember those cell phone calls from the one flight that never made its destination.
@HawaiiGopher (1009)
• Belgium
8 May 11
You mean the terrorists from 9/11? These guys:
http://assets.nydailynews.com/img/2007/11/03/alg_video-clip.jpg
http://wwwimage.cbsnews.com/images/2004/07/22/image631191x.jpg
They seem to be wearing pretty traditional, Western clothes to me. Or are we meant to be afraid of all brown people now? 
@sierras236 (2739)
• United States
8 May 11
Perceptions are everything. People do make snap judgments about a person's attire. Ever seen the people of Wal-mart website?
The after effects of 9/11 are going to be felt for sometime. Yes, it is going to be especially strong when a plane is involved.
Whether you like or not, you are profiled by everyone you meet. That's a fact. Society does it, the media does it, frankly you do it to.
This is one of the unintended consequences of 9/11.
@HawaiiGopher (1009)
• Belgium
8 May 11
Were they subsequently removed from planes after making someone "feel uncomfortable"? 
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