Airport Pray-In against profiling
Imams, ministers and a rabbi staged a
“pray-in” here at Reagan National Airport yesterday morning,
demanding an apology from US Airways for removing six imams from a flight last
week.
Imams, ministers and a rabbi staged a “pray-in” here at Reagan National Airport
yesterday morning, demanding an apology from US Airways for removing six imams
from a flight last week.
They also called on Congress to combat religious and racial profiling.
“Whether it’s driving while black, flying while Muslim or traveling with a Torah, racial and religious profiling is not acceptable in America,” said Mahdi Bray, executive director of the Falls Church, Va.-based Muslim American Society Freedom Foundation. “I believe we can protect the safety of our nation and still treat our Muslim citizens fairly.”
The removal of the six imams from the Minneapolis-to-Phoenix flight after several passengers reported “suspicious” behavior - and US Airways’ refusal the next day to let the men board another flight even after police had cleared them - has become a cause celebre in the civil liberties and civil rights communities.
The imams, who were returning from a religious conference before Thanksgiving, laid out mats and prayed in the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport. After boarding the flight and attracting additional notice for purportedly making anti-U.S. comments, among other things, they were escorted off the plane, handcuffed and questioned for several hours by federal and local law enforcement officials.
You have to wonder what sort of white bread resides in the skulls of US Airways’ officials instead of brains? Refusing passage to the same group of Imams — the following day — after everything is sorted out with the Homeland Insecurity crowd is dumber than the original farce.
They also called on Congress to combat religious and racial profiling.
“Whether it’s driving while black, flying while Muslim or traveling with a Torah, racial and religious profiling is not acceptable in America,” said Mahdi Bray, executive director of the Falls Church, Va.-based Muslim American Society Freedom Foundation. “I believe we can protect the safety of our nation and still treat our Muslim citizens fairly.”
The removal of the six imams from the Minneapolis-to-Phoenix flight after several passengers reported “suspicious” behavior - and US Airways’ refusal the next day to let the men board another flight even after police had cleared them - has become a cause celebre in the civil liberties and civil rights communities.
The imams, who were returning from a religious conference before Thanksgiving, laid out mats and prayed in the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport. After boarding the flight and attracting additional notice for purportedly making anti-U.S. comments, among other things, they were escorted off the plane, handcuffed and questioned for several hours by federal and local law enforcement officials.
You have to wonder what sort of white bread resides in the skulls of US Airways’ officials instead of brains? Refusing passage to the same group of Imams — the following day — after everything is sorted out with the Homeland Insecurity crowd is dumber than the original farce.
Posted: Tue - November 28, 2006 at 11:39 AM