Clergy Protests Muslim Passenger Removal

(CBS/AP)  Imams, ministers and a rabbi staged a "pray-in" demonstration Monday at Reagan Washington National Airport and demanded an apology from US Airways for barring six Muslims from a Minneapolis to Phoenix flight last week.

The religious leaders called for an end to racial profiling, saying it was unacceptable in America.

"These things are troubling to us," said Mahdi Bray, executive director of the Muslim American Society Freedom Foundation. "Driving while black, flying while Muslim, traveling with a Torah or getting with Jesus."

Imam Omar Shahin, one of the six imams detained last Monday at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport, said they hadn't done anything suspicious.

The imams, who were returning from a religious conference, had prayed on their prayer rugs in the airport before the flight. After they boarded the flight, a passenger, who was alarmed by their activity, passed a note to a flight attendant. The men were taken off the airplane, handcuffed and questioned.

"It was the worst moment in my life," Shahin said.

US Airways Group Inc. spokeswoman Andrea Rader said prayer was never the issue.

"Apparently, as they were boarding, one passenger overheard them saying what they thought were anti-U.S. statements," Rader said.

She also said the men got up and moved around the airplane, forcing the flight crew to consult with the airline about whether they might pose a security risk. Local law enforcement and the FBI thought they did, she said.

"We're sorry the imams had a difficult time, but we do think the crews have to make these calls and we think they made the right one," she said. US Airways plans to meet with the imams this week, Rader said.

On Monday, Shahin and a handful of other Muslims bowed down on rugs and prayed in Terminal A near the US Airways ticket counter. Jewish and Christian clergy also said prayers.

After the prayer session, Shahin and other religious leaders boarded a US Airways flight to demonstrate their determination to continue praying and flying.

"Racial and religious profiling is unacceptable in the United States of America," Bray said.

Hilary Shelton, director of the NAACP national office, called on Congress to pass legislation that would end racial profiling. The bill is necessary because airlines are unclear how to deal with racial and ethnic profiling, he said.

In the aftermath of the Sept. 11 terror attacks, four airlines accused of breaking federal anti-discrimination laws settled with the government. Transportation Department investigations found the airlines had unlawfully removed passengers because of their perceived ethnic or religious backgrounds.

Though the air carriers — American Airlines, United Airlines, Delta Air Lines and Continental Airlines — admitted no wrongdoing, they agreed to carry out civil rights training for their employees.

The Transportation Department hasn't received any complaints about the incident, said spokesman Brian Turmail.

"Should someone file a complaint, then we would investigate," Turmail said.

The Homeland Security Department's Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties said last week that it was investigating the US Airways incident.

[ramil_v]

Removing passengers, that had passed alll the necessary security checks, only because they peformed a prescribed prayer shows that the American society is seriously ill and lacks even minimal knowlege of Eastern traditions. This is insanity, already taking root in the US.

[bushrocks1]

Would I send my son to this war? You might ask would I send him to WW II? Or Vietnam? Maybe you would distinguish those conflicts and whether you would send your son to fight in them. But that question is misdirected in a very important way: I can't command my son to go to war. He has to make that choice. So the better question would be: would I volunteer to fight in Iraq, WW II, Vietnam? Would I volunteer to fight in any war? Respond if drafted? I don%u2019t know. I'm not equivocating, only addressing that it is a hypothetical. To a hypothetical, I can answer, sure I'd fight. But I have nightmares of battle (from my past life as a Jacobite). So how do I feel toward those who do volunteer? Impressed and maturely knowing that many things go into their decision. But I do strongly believe that a country that can't find those men is doomed. The fact that we can find them is one reason why I say there is no failure in Iraq. Objectively, I also believe it for other reasons. An attempt to establish democracy in the Middle East is a bold, brilliant, noble effort, facing a high chance of failure. That's why I greatly respect and admire those who have made the attempt--the Bush administration. They have been resolute, something I have not seen in my lifetime. They may not succeed, for reasons outside their control or fault: traitors on the home front being a big one. Now those traitors have apparently occupied the high ground. Yet... we're still in Iraq. Why?...I'm waiting.

[jerrycg]

The airline was absolutely correct in removing any passenger who by suspicious activity is perceived to be a risk to other passengers. Christians and Jews fold their hands and bow their heads to quietly pray. A far cry from the prayers of Muslims. Profiling may not set well with some people, however, with the exception of Oklahoma City, all terrorist acts, murders, suicides, whatever have been carried out by Muslims. Not exactly an innocent religion and as a religion has earned the fear of others by their terrorist activity. Far better to be safe than sorry in a situation such as this. Under the circumstances we live in today, this is as it must be.

[agnim]

"Not all Muslims want to kill Americans. Most just want to live their lives in peace and pray to God like all other religious groups do here is America."

Posted by DaleRuff at 08:15 PM : Nov 27, 2006

And how do we tell who are the potential islamic killers and whom the non-killers, Reverend Ruffhouse?

Is it not wiser to err on the side of CAUTION?

Why don't you advise your muslim brethren to pray PRIVATELY from the safety of their HOMES?


Incidentally, the fight should not be with the unfortunate muslims who have been mentally poisoned by the insane islamic rubbish since childhood.

The fight should be with the idiotic ideology of islam itself.
islam, its signs and symbols should be targeted for eradication from the planet. The insane islam has bee a scourge upon the minds of unfortunate souls for far too long. It's time to eradicate the islamic insanity.

And by the way, Rev, shouldn't your time better spent in atoning for the sodomizing and traumatizing of the children in the churches of child sodomy for generations now, and for turning western/christians societies into dens of sodomy and child sodomy?

[lestb35]

nadeau4201, wow, that's pretty chilling. Sounds like the mafia on steroids. As far as I'm concerned they can take they're Islam out of this country. We don't need it.

[lestb35]

ncolsens, whoa, sucks to be you, dude. Don't let the nightmares wake yuou.

[nadeau4201]

I went on jiihad watch and read a story about a man in NJ who was talking in a chat room(Paltalk.com) that he thought was privacy protected. He got into a dispute with a few Muslims over religion and I guess the Jersey guy pissed them off. A network of jiihads hacked into the system for his name and address. The police later found the man and his wife and the 2 daughters bound and gagged with their throats slit. On a jiihad website their were pics of the family and bragging going on about how they got what they deserved. So I guess they are the only ones who can insult us and chant death to Americans and we are not allowed to say anything or have a discussion without being sued or killed.

well it's been great chatting/blogging with you all but I must retreat to my bed, I can only hope Bush does not say another stupid thing while on his diplmatic cause, no one gets shot for being out side a night club at 4am, no more tiles fall down in any tunnels,no more aircraft crash, spies are killed, and that Gen. John Abizaid, the four-star commander of all U.S. forces in the Middle East resigns his position. Good Night and good riddens to all that have destroyed our good name on the planet Earth

[akarsno]

I don't blame the airline for doing their part and the passenger that felt that it was unsafe. It is his right and for his own safety and the others on board.

hamiltongrad, I'm not sure what you are asking...........