Seattle Times: Muslim group threatens boycott of Northwest Airlines

[HadassahSukkot]

(is this a problem? :P)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/traveloutdoors/2003529317_webmuslimflight17.html

A group of Detroit residents is threatening to lead a boycott of Northwest Airlines over what they say is a pattern of profiling against Muslim passengers.
Imam Hassan Al-Qazwini, head of the Islamic Center of America in Dearborn, Mich., was in a group of about 40 pilgrims who were prevented from boarding a connecting flight in Germany to Detroit on Jan. 7 while returning from a trip to holy cities in Saudi Arabia. The Muslim group, most of whom are Lebanese-American Shiites, held a news conference Tuesday at the Dearborn mosque to describe what they say happened to them. They called for Northwest to apologize, compensate them, and discipline the employees they said profiled them....


[more at link]

:doh:

[Torah]

A group of Detroit residents is threatening to lead a boycott of Northwest Airlines over what they say is a pattern of profiling against Muslim passengers.
Imam Hassan Al-Qazwini, head of the Islamic Center of America in Dearborn, Mich., was in a group of about 40 pilgrims who were prevented from boarding a connecting flight in Germany to Detroit on Jan. 7 while returning from a trip to holy cities in Saudi Arabia. The Muslim group, most of whom are Lebanese-American Shiites, held a news conference Tuesday at the Dearborn mosque to describe what they say happened to them. They called for Northwest to apologize, compensate them, and discipline the employees they said profiled them....




40 Muslim getting on an Airline would definitely make me nervous. I don’t understand how these people [Muslims] do not understand why they are singled out or “PROFILIED”. Just pick up a paper and read, Muslims blowing up this, Muslims kidnapping people, Muslims rioting, Muslims taking over, Muslims killing, and it’s all over the world. And these 40 Muslims can not understand that they are affiliated with a group of people that do this!.
Northwest Airlines owes no apologue. And these 40 needs to except, that if they chose to be Muslims, then they should accept the fact that there Muslims brothers have saddled them with this burden.
[edit] And the rest of us as well.

[visionary]

Until we invent the ''intentions of the heart" detector, there is not much else we can do but be concerned for our own safety when in the presence of Muslims anywhere in the world under any circumstances. They are like a bomb that could go off at any moment, and that was not a tongue in cheek statement.

[HadassahSukkot]

They aren't the only ones being profiled. LOL! By far... they're profiling us too, because we're semitic and look middle eastern, our women wear headcoverings and.. :gasp: we pray during flights...

Every airline does it, not just Northwestern.

I haven't flown Northwestern (I will this year though!) before, but I have to applaud them for sticking to their guns. :)

I have been on two "questionable" Flights before, and I have been the last three sets of times I have flown - stopped at every check point, and been patted down; had my items checked over, and been asked questions.

I look at it as extra security. Yes a hassle, but extra security.

I have gone through this with military flights, why not with civillian? ;)

The difference now is that I am living out my beliefs & heritage and people who don't know different (aka aren't visually observant or don't ask) wouldn't know I'm Jewish.


I'm not upset, they weren't slighted. I've missed flights before, it is an "upset" but it isn't something no one can fix. You laugh about it and move on, No? :)

[plum]

Well I am Lebanese and I am not Muslim. It is annoying to be singled out. And it does happen. My brother and sister are both much darker and more "Arabic looking" than I am. but when we fly together... you wouldn't believe how often we're the only people pulled out of the line for searches.... *sigh*

[HadassahSukkot]

Eirene :hug:


You'd be suprised to find that every time Andreas has flown since growing his beard he is always stopped unless he looks like he's on a business trip (I don't know how he manages that)...

But I always get stopped. A couple of times it got very embarrasing. One time it was right at the Delta ticket counter that a lady pulled us aside to examine our luggage in front of EVERYONE. I was travelling with my brother, and she preceeds to tell me she's from Eiretria. (used to be part of Ethiopia when I was little)
I was like "i'm sorry I don't know where that is..."

Then after that, I got all but strip searched.:blush:

This last time I got stopped at every "random check" but they were generally a little nicer. :sorry:

My dad has told me to dress differently; but to me, dressing differently denies who and what I am.. People who have no clue will think some of my headcoverings- assume one thing; whilst with others assume something else entirely (even with the hats, they're no use. LOL)

It is embarrassing and frustrating.. but I think i've come to look at it like this. They know where I sat, they know what I brought, they know what books I had that I read, and they've heard me talk. If I react badly, it ruins my witness. Find something to have fun with about it - because everyone's watching.

I wish there was a better way... My in laws and friends of the family coming for the wedding will have to be fingerprinted and retina scanned when they come in the States.

I would be humiliated if I had to do that going into the EU.

[plum]

Eirene :hug:


You'd be suprised to find that every time Andreas has flown since growing his beard he is always stopped unless he looks like he's on a business trip (I don't know how he manages that)...

But I always get stopped. A couple of times it got very embarrasing. One time it was right at the Delta ticket counter that a lady pulled us aside to examine our luggage in front of EVERYONE. I was travelling with my brother, and she preceeds to tell me she's from Eiretria. (used to be part of Ethiopia when I was little)
I was like "i'm sorry I don't know where that is..."

Then after that, I got all but strip searched.:blush:

This last time I got stopped at every "random check" but they were generally a little nicer. :sorry:

My dad has told me to dress differently; but to me, dressing differently denies who and what I am.. People who have no clue will think some of my headcoverings- assume one thing; whilst with others assume something else entirely (even with the hats, they're no use. LOL)

It is embarrassing and frustrating.. but I think i've come to look at it like this. They know where I sat, they know what I brought, they know what books I had that I read, and they've heard me talk. If I react badly, it ruins my witness. Find something to have fun with about it - because everyone's watching.

I wish there was a better way... My in laws and friends of the family coming for the wedding will have to be fingerprinted and retina scanned when they come in the States.

I would be humiliated if I had to do that going into the EU.
:hug:

It can be a very good witness, that's right. Well, or a poor one. But here's hoping for a good one for the Kingdom!

I dress more or less like normal American women (I don't cover, for instance) so I can see how that would increase the likelihood of searches and all of that.

[BoazB]

There is the line, "Freedom isn't free", which I am sure for many Americans has ahad a serious significance. The deeper truth of that statement I believe is yet to be discovered.

This is nothing to fear. Many parts of the world have lived with extreme security, such as being patted down, for years. To keep our freedom (ultimate in life, health and person) we may have to give up some of our "lesser freedoms", like shorter queues, cheaper goods, right of speech (when common information may cost the lives of those on the front). To have travelling delays means nothing if one can keep one's life.

In South Africa, among some culture groups, any man who looks Middle Eastern and has a longish beard is often called "Jesus". Just after 9/11, while going through a small town, I could hear voices calling out when they saw me, calling "Bin Laden! Bin Laden!"

I have found unlimited freedom of access unusual, and I think in reality, when it comes to safety, to stay safe, a lot of these things will have to be curtailed. These things are not the end of the world. Maybe with a little less, our own world will not end shorter than it should.

[Yovel]

I think I will stay out of this discussion. I'm afraid I might say something that might be offensive. ;)

[Ivy]

(is this a problem? :P)



That was my reaction, too. :holy: "Okay, stay off the airplanes. We're all so crushed."

[Wags]

Well I am blonde and blue eyed and I get pulled over and searched more often than not. I have stood in line at LAX just a few feet from Arab men in their 20's who were NOT stoped and searched, but I was.

I've known grandmothers who were stopped and strip searched, and not because they were darked skin.

When I was a kid I can remember my mom and sister and I being searched by hand in the Cario airport, and the Addis Abba airport, and the Nirobi airport. It was just the way security was done back then. Now they use wands most of the time.

Oddly enough hubby rarely gets searched, unless he is standing close to me. Maybe he just looks like the Russian Jew he is.

And if the muslims are going to boycott an airline - hey thats the one I want to fly!!!

[Gwenyfur]

Tell that to my daughter who, while flying on SouthWest in uniform was stopped at the gate and nearly strip searched!
Muslim profiling *pft*!!!!!

[Ahavah]

Last time I flew, my daughters baby bottle was confiscated. (she was sucking on her bottle at the time)They told me there was "WATER" in the bottle and she couldn't have the bottle full of water.
(boy..did that make her mad or what...don't mess with a 1 year olds bottle)
This happened when they thought all liquids were dangerous.

[Torah]

And if the muslims are going to boycott an airline - hey thats the one I want to fly!!!

I agree:thumbsup: , I like that Wags.:D

[Nessuno]

And if the muslims are going to boycott an airline - hey thats the one I want to fly!!!

I agree:thumbsup: , I like that Wags.:D
Thirding that idea.

Would also like to add some guy just won a bunch of money for beign "profiled" or "racially discriminated".
This may lead to ppl not be searched that should be searched and whatnot, lowering safety.

On a similar thought, arians, or white supremists have a similar agenda. I keep my hair short because i'm lazy regarding such things as hairstyling, and because I'm a white male with well, really short when I get it cut, I would fit much of that profile. I understand this and although it may be inconvenient, it's understandable. I wonder if I'd be able to sue if I got searched or whatever. Heck, i'd find it more a comfort that they were doing their job and not do the lawsuit regardless of whether or not it could fill my pockets.

I just wanted to point outthat the enemy does have allies that don't fit the same profile.

[Espada]

I have found that the American customs officials in airports are amongst the rudest around. I was stopped and searched which is not so bad but it was the attitude of the officials who clearly regard you as a criminal before they have any evidence.

Japan on the other hand, the officials there asked to search our bags but in no way made us feel like criminals they were very polite and made it feel routine.

I don't even look anything other than European, maybe slightly Semitic but that is it.

I don't mind if I am profiled as long as they do it politely rather than treating me like a criminal.

[Nessuno]

I just wanted to point outthat the enemy does have allies that don't fit the same profile.
Although the allies of the enemy dont seem to be fond of blowing themselves up.

[BoazB]

When I was 24, I went to visit the UK. While I was there I went for a week to a Paris Youth Hostel and then came back. On my return, I was given a grilling coming in at Dover - I realised how suspicious it must have looked and why he was being aggressive - he probably thought I was a drugs courier to the continent. :(

[BoazB]

It must be very difficult for the officials. A car bomb goes off. The stuff and / or the perpetrators might even have been through that customs channel. The officials want to do something, never see the guy, so what do they do - grill everybody in the queue for good measure:scratch:

[By Grace]

Last time I flew, my daughters baby bottle was confiscated. (she was sucking on her bottle at the time)They told me there was "WATER" in the bottle and she couldn't have the bottle full of water.
(boy..did that make her mad or what...don't mess with a 1 year olds bottle)
This happened when they thought all liquids were dangerous.
And then there's the big-name NFL quarterback here in GA who had a bottle of "water" confiscated--you think taking a bottle from a baby is bad, try taking one from a quarterback!--only for the airline people to find out it was a dummy bottle and had a hidden compartment with what appeared to be marijuana inside...

[Ivy]

Nah, I think it would be worse taking it from a baby ^_^

[Torah]

I have found that the American customs officials in airports are amongst the rudest around. I was stopped and searched which is not so bad but it was the attitude of the officials who clearly regard you as a criminal before they have any evidence.

Japan on the other hand, the officials there asked to search our bags but in no way made us feel like criminals they were very polite and made it feel routine.

I don't even look anything other than European, maybe slightly Semitic but that is it.

I don't mind if I am profiled as long as they do it politely rather than treating me like a criminal.

I have found that the American customs officials in airports are amongst the rudest around.

On behalf of all American, I would like to offer a deep and sincere apology to you, for any rude behavior you received in coming into or going out of our country. :wave:

[HadassahSukkot]

I have to agree, some of our guys and gals that are at customs can be very rude. In fact, they're even rude to us :P

I'm sorry you were treated badly Espada :hug: