Progressive Minds

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2006/11/21

Racial Profiling in America

@ 05:15 PM (20 months, 9 days ago)

A group of Muslim scholars were removed from a US Airways flight this week for apparently no reason.

The Muslim scholars, returning from a conference, said their normal evening prayers in an airport terminal before boarding their plane.  They apparently did nothing but mind their business on the plane, but a fellow passenger passed a note to a flight attendant, stating their concern about the Muslim passengers.

From an Associated Press article:

The Council on American-Islamic Relations called Tuesday for an investigation into the behavior of airline staff and airport security in the removal of six Muslim scholars from a US Airways flight a day earlier.

A passenger raised concerns about the imams — three of whom said their normal evening prayers in the airport terminal before boarding the Phoenix-bound plane, according to one — through a note passed to a flight attendant, according to Andrea Rader, a spokeswoman for US Airways.

"We are concerned that crew members, passengers and security personnel may have succumbed to fear and prejudice based on stereotyping of Muslims and Islam," Nihad Awad, the council's executive director, said in a news release.

-snip-

Shahin said Tuesday that three members of the group prayed in the terminal before the six boarded the plane. They entered individually, except for one member who is blind and needed to be guided, Shahin said. Once on the plane, the six did not sit together, he said.

"We did nothing" on the plane, Shahin said.

The six were among passengers who boarded Flight 300, bound for Phoenix, around 6:30 p.m. Monday, airport spokesman Pat Hogan said.

Police were called after the captain and airport security workers asked the men to leave the plane and the men refused, Rader said.

Shahin said no one asked the six to leave until police arrived, when the group complied.

"Unfortunately, this is a growing problem of singling out Muslims or people perceived to be Muslims at airports, and it's one that we've been addressing for some time," council spokesman Ibrahim Hooper said.

Are these supposed to be our democratic values in America now?  Why is it ok to remove people who are minding their business from a plane, simply because they are of a certain race or religion?

And why is it that no one called for the profiling of White men with crew cuts after Tim McVeigh bombed the federal building in Oklahoma City?

Comment(s) »

  1. AIRCRAFT FLIGHT SAFTY MUST 'TRUMP' RELIGIOUS ETICHET ANYDAY !!!!!!!!!

    Comment by jim— 2006/11/21 @ 06:05 PM — (Reply)

  2. And just how did these men pose a threat to air safety?

    At what point did they demonstrate any behavior that would suggest they posed a threat.

    Oh that's right, they didn't! There have been no reports that they demonstrated any behavior outside the norm. So it appears that the only reason the passenger alerted the flight attendant about them, was because they are Muslim.

    And I am STILL waiting for someone to explain to me why no one called for the profiling of White men with crew cuts after Tim McVeigh bombed the federal building in Oklahoma City.

    I find it curious that a White man committed the worst case of home-grown terrorism on our soil. And no one calls for profiling people who look like him.

    Yet, when Muslims are involved, all of a sudden we've got to profile every Muslim.

    Comment by SMillard— 2006/11/21 @ 06:27 PM — (Reply)

  3. ALRIGHT ALRIGHT 1 TIM MCVEIGHT IN 10 YEARS, BUT 20 MUSLIMS IN 5 YEARS ??? COME ON ANYONE CAN SEE A "TREND' DEVELOPING HERE....

    Comment by jim— 2006/11/21 @ 06:51 PM — (Reply)

  4. I think the point is that you don't classify an entire group of being as being this or that, or to penalize all for the actions of a few.

    It is wrong to say all Muslims are this, all African-Americans are that, all Caucasians are this....etc.

    I don't think any group of people are monolithic.

    Comment by SMillard— 2006/11/21 @ 07:27 PM — (Reply)

  5. OH YES I THINK THE POINT IS "YES YOU DO" AND RIGHTFULLY SO, YOU WATCH AND ALLOW/DISALLOW THOSE YOU LET YOUR CHILDREN PLAY WITH RIGHT??? AND ITS THAT "BASIC". TO "DENIE" IT IS TO "LIE" !!! ARE YOU A LIAR SHALANA????

    Comment by jim— 2006/11/21 @ 07:51 PM — (Reply)

  6. Again, I believe it is wrong to stereotype entire groups of people. No group of people are monolithic in their beliefs/actions.

    I'm sure you have heard about the incident involving Michael Richards, who used to play on Seinfield. He was performing at the Laugh Factory when he started shouting racial slurs at the Black members of the audience. Michael Richards happens to be a White Jew. So, just because of his racist views, do you want me to conclude that ALL White Jews are racist against African-Americans? I would reject that.

    Former Congressman Mark Foley is a gay Catholic man who happens to also be a pedofile. Would it be right for you or me to conclude that all gay Catholics are pedofiles? No.

    Comment by SMillard— 2006/11/21 @ 08:02 PM — (Reply)

  7. MONOLITHIC Are you kidding ??? the only ISLAMI NAZI who isnt monolithic are the ones who ESCAPED BY COMING HERE !!! WHY DO YOU THINK ALL MUSLIMS GATHER AT MECCA ??? BECAUSE THEY ARE MONOLITHIC !

    Comment by jim— 2006/11/24 @ 11:46 AM — (Reply)

  8. Shalana, by no response, demonstrates "she has no answer to the question".......

    Comment by jim— 2006/11/23 @ 06:25 AM — (Reply)

  9. How do I rsepond to people who just talk out of their a@s and don't back up their assertions with facts?

    Comment by SMillard— 2006/11/23 @ 07:07 AM — (Reply)

  10. YOUR "VEHILMENT" OBJECTION SUGGESTS YOU ARE WORKING FOR THESE MUSLIMS AND PRECLUDES MY NEED TO LISTEN TO YOUR PHONE CALLS COMING INTO YOU, FROM THE MIDDLE EAST FROM THESE PEOPLE !!!!

    Comment by jim— 2006/11/21 @ 06:54 PM — (Reply)

  11. hate to burst your bubble but being Muslim is not a race. Hello. Beuller? Beuller?

    Comment by Ernie Els— 2006/11/21 @ 08:04 PM — (Reply)



  12. Again, I believe it is wrong to stereotype entire groups of people. No group of people are monolithic in their beliefs/actions


    Unless they are conservatives right?

    You didn't treat Bill Bennett with the same type of grace.

    Comment by Ernie Els— 2006/11/21 @ 08:18 PM — (Reply)

  13. or the military

    Comment by Ernie Els— 2006/11/21 @ 08:32 PM — (Reply)

  14. one of the imams had ties to bin laden and hamas, all of them were talking loudly about how terrible the us is , all of them made a scene on the plane for example asking for extended seatbelts when they didn't need one..etc

    These Imams were trying to stir trouble and there is evidence that this was purposeful, so that CAIR (the council on american islamic relations) could bring a lawsuit

    Comment by Ernie Els— 2006/11/23 @ 12:15 AM — (Reply)

  15. You have no evidence of that.

    Comment by SMillard— 2006/11/23 @ 07:06 AM — (Reply)

  16. Thier "OFFICIAL SPOKESPERSON' was just on T.V. and said the organization strongly objects to the use of suicide bombers and intolerance of others who are different from the islamic faith !!! further he aserts that those who support hezbolla,Syria, and iranshould speak out against the "HIJACKING" of thier islamic faith as a means to achieve thier political goals !! A kind of "YOU DONT SPEAK FOR ME DEMONSTRATION"

    Comment by jim— 2006/11/23 @ 06:59 PM — (Reply)

  17. praying out loud and loudly is one of the things that was known to have occurred with the 9/11 attackers as well

    Comment by Ernie Els— 2006/11/23 @ 12:16 AM — (Reply)

  18. if your a black kid standing on the corner of a black neighborhood selling dope than you must be a young punk dope sellin nigger right ???? they call each other these names like "NIGGER PLEASE", or "yo be my nigger and fetch my that chicken bone for me aight", these are the same people who dont want to be called this yet they are 2 faced and 1st to call each other this same

    Comment by aza spade— 2006/11/23 @ 12:29 PM — (Reply)

  19. Are you just looking for an excuse to use a racial slur today?

    Comment by SMillard— 2006/11/23 @ 08:17 PM — (Reply)

  20. You, SHALANA MILLER, Are way out of touch with everday life on the streets, It seems as if you just want to ARGUE without knowing what you are talking about

    Comment by aza spade— 2006/11/23 @ 12:31 PM — (Reply)

  21. WATCH FOR YOUR LAWS OF FREEDOM TO BE USED AGAINST YOU ! tHIS WAS THE TOPIC ON THE GLENN bECK SHOW ALL LAST WEEK

    Comment by jim— 2006/11/24 @ 11:43 AM — (Reply)

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