Racial profiling or Necessary safety?

[pastorables]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/co ... 32_pf.html

...Kashif Irfan, one of the removed passengers, said the incident began about 1 p.m. after his brother, Atif, and his brother's wife wondered aloud about the safest place to sit on an airplane.

"My brother and his wife were discussing some aspect of airport security," Irfan said. "The only thing my brother said was, 'Wow, the jets are right next to my window.' I think they were remarking about safety."...

...Ellen Howe, a spokeswoman for the Transportation Security Administration, said the pilot acted appropriately.

"For us, it just highlights that security is everybody's responsibility," Howe said. "Someone heard something that was inappropriate, and then the airline decided to act on it.

Though I understand the sensitivity surrounding airport security, I'm not sure that I agree with officials that the family's talk about the location of the jets being near the windows was inappropriate.

[DeWayneTN]

I think most likely it is the paranoia of the fellow passengers. I'm surprised the airline didn't rebook them, though. It's possible their anger at being kicked off led to that.

[one love]

I did not read the article but lets imagine that you were on that plane. Or even worse imagine you were on that plane and your children/parents/brother were on one of the planes on 9-11 and over heard this.....

I agree as well it may have to do with their response to this....I should read the article though

[DeWayneTN]

I'm an expert on air travel since I watch the show "Airline." On that show, they reserve the right to refuse service to anyone. They do it all the time to drunks and rude people.

[Pastor Gary]

This instance feels like overkill to me.

It was a family of American-born muslims not trying to disguise their religious preference - the woman I saw interviewed was wearing a head scarf - and speaking English. I travel, and have seen people who made me nervous from time to time, and YES, I do mentally profile.

But this case seems over the top to me.

[JohnDB]

Back when the days of the IRA were doing their terroist work in Scotland/Ireland they weren't exactly profiling for black people to start with...white men with red hair were targeted and selected for questioning every time.

Everybody understood...red-headed Americans were routinely thouroughly searched and questioned...and their accent gave them away every time and they were turned loose...the southern drawls especially would send them packing from an interrogation booth.

Paranoia though was instilled by this family...about the same as shouting, "fire" while in Chicago and a movie theatre.

They are getting off rather light IMHO.

[RamboPreacher]

pitbulls don't maul, their owners do.

[pastorables]

update

Two U.S. Muslim advocacy groups, however, were critical of the airline's actions. The Muslim Public Affairs Council called on federal officials Friday to open an investigation. And the Council for American-Islamic Relations filed a complaint with the U.S. Department of Transportation, saying "It is incumbent on any airline to ensure that members of the traveling public are not singled out or mistreated based on their perceived race, religion or national origin."

[Full Quiver]

How do you racially profile a radical Muslim? Don't they come in all sorts of flavors just like Christian folks?

[Tim Elston]

They are getting off rather light IMHO.

I don't understand that opinion at all. Getting off light for what? Asking what the safest place to sit on an airplane is? No, what you must mean is getting off rather light for having a normal conversion as persons of Middle Eastern descent.

I was impressed with the actions of the FBI in the case. I read about them on a CNN article; I don't know whether it was mentioned in the article referenced in this thread. The FBI did a fabulous job.