Arabs complain they werer removed from plane

[mord]

http://www.breitbart.com/news/2006/11/21/D8LH9VQO0.html  but a few months ago the same thing happened to a orthodox Jewish man


http://www.netscape.com/viewstory/2006/09/05/jewish-man-removed-from-airplane-for-praying/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.cbc.ca%2Fcanada%2Fmontreal%2Fstory%2F2006%2F09%2F05%2Fqc-hasidicprayeronplane.html%3Fref%3Drss&frame=true

6 Imams Removed From Twin Cities Flight
Nov 21 1:42 AM US/Eastern
   
By STEVE KARNOWSKI
Associated Press Writer

MINNEAPOLIS

         
 
 


Six Muslim imams were removed from a US Airways flight at Minneapolis- St. Paul International Airport on Monday and questioned by police for several hours before being released, a leader of the group said.
The six were among passengers who boarded Flight 300, bound for Phoenix, around 6:30 p.m., airport spokesman Pat Hogan said.

A passenger initially raised concerns about the group through a note passed to a flight attendant, according to Andrea Rader, a spokeswoman for US Airways. She said police were called after the captain and airport security workers asked the men to leave the plane and the men refused.

"They took us off the plane, humiliated us in a very disrespectful way," said Omar Shahin, of Phoenix.

The six Muslim scholars were returning from a conference in Minneapolis of the North American Imams Federation, said Shahin, president of the group. Five of them were from the Phoenix-Tempe area, while one was from Bakersfield, Calif., he said.

Three of them stood and said their normal evening prayers together on the plane, as 1.7 billion Muslims around the world do every day, Shahin said. He attributed any concerns by passengers or crew to ignorance about Islam.

"I never felt bad in my life like that," he said. "I never. Six imams. Six leaders in this country. Six scholars in handcuffs. It's terrible."

Ibrahim Hooper, spokesman for the Washington-based Council on American-Islamic Relations, expressed anger at the detentions.

"CAIR will be filing a complaint with relevant authorities in the morning over the treatment of the imams to determine whether the incident was caused by anti-Muslim hysteria by the passengers and/or the airline crew," Hooper said. "Because, 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."

Hooper said the meeting drew about 150 imams from all over the country, and that those attending included U.S. Rep.-elect Keith Ellison, D-Minneapolis, who just became the first Muslim elected to Congress. Shahin said they went as far as notifying police and the FBI about their meeting in advance.

Shahin expressed frustration that _ despite extensive efforts by him and other Muslim leaders since even before the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks _ so many Americans know so little about Islam.

"If up to now they don't know about prayers, this is a real problem," he said.

Reached by cell phone just after his release, Shahin said he didn't know where they would spend the night or how they would try to get back to Phoenix on Tuesday. Hooper said US Airways refused to put the men on another flight.

Hogan said more information would likely be released Tuesday.

The other passengers on the flight, which was carrying 141 passengers and five crew members, were re-screened for boarding, Rader
 

Jewish man removed from airplane for praying
Last Updated: Tuesday, September 5, 2006 | 11:12 PM ET
CBC News
Some fellow passengers are questioning why an Orthodox Jewish man was removed from an Air Canada Jazz flight in Montreal last week for praying.

The man was a passenger on a Sept. 1 flight from Montreal to New York City when the incident happened.

The airplane was heading toward the runway at the Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport when eyewitnesses said the Orthodox man began to pray.

"He was clearly a Hasidic Jew," said Yves Faguy, a passenger seated nearby. "He had some sort of cover over his head. He was reading from a book.

"He wasn't exactly praying out loud but he was lurching back and forth," Faguy added.

The action didn't seem to bother anyone, Faguy said, but a flight attendant approached the man and told him his praying was making other passengers nervous.

"The attendant actually recognized out loud that he wasn't a Muslim and that she was sorry for the situation but they had to ask him to leave," Faguy said.

The man, who spoke neither English nor French, was escorted off the airplane.

Air Canada Jazz termed the situation "delicate," but says it received more than one complaint about the man's behaviour.

The crew had to act in the interest of the majority of passengers, said Jazz spokeswoman Manon Stewart.

"The passenger did not speak English or French, so we really had no choice but to return to the gate to secure a translator," she said.

The airline is not saying if the man was told he was not allowed to pray, but a spokesperson said the man was back on board the next flight to New York.

Jewish leaders in Montreal criticized the move as insensitive, saying the flight attendants should have explained to the other passengers that the man was simply praying and doing no harm.

Hasidic Rabbi Ronny Fine said he often prays on airplanes, but typically only gets curious stares.

"If it's something that you're praying in your own seat and not taking over the whole plane, I don't think it should be a problem," said Fine.

The Jewish group B'nai Brith Canada has offered to help give Air Canada crews sensitivity training.

Continue Article

    Moslems want special treatment

[TheCoon]

Muslim scholars...

Talk about two terms that go together like oil and water.

[cjd]

Something is fishy about that whole deal. I honestly believe that that was a put on to give  Muslims something to cry about about the harsh treatment they think they are getting. Airlines and security people had better stick to the rules and continue to extract animals like that who look suspicious because I honestly believe that this was an attempt to get security to back off. This whole situation should be an eye opener!

[davkakach]

They should have been removed from the plane when it was in mid-air...

[MarZutra]

They should have been removed from the plane when it was in mid-air...

Agreed.     It was all a sham in my opinion.  I think they did it for propaganda purposes to get the ACLU and CAIR involved somehow...  Hurry up and close the borders, re-arm, shut down the CFR, ACLU, UN and go on a mission America and truly clean up this [censored] World!!  May HaShem be with you and agaisnt your enemies....bastards!

[LeChayim]

There's a huge difference between Jews and Muslims praying on an airplane.

When a Jew prays, the worst that can happen, is he might be in your way, and will mysteriously not acknowledge you when you say "excuse me" (a portion of Jewish prayer - the amidah - requires the Jew to stand in one place with his feet together, and be deeply focused on the prayer).

On the other hand, when you hear someone on a plane say "Allah huwakbar," you'd best start praying yourself.

So what's the big deal? The Muslims are upset, because they were treated like we're at war with them. Well, guess what?

WE ARE!!!

[MarZutra]

Agreed.  I'm sorry but I'm starting to hope that the governments puts in place a program to purchase all their Quickie Marts, Taxi Stands, Pizza Joint and Mosques and send them all back to Iraq.  I'm getting fed up with those stupid bastards...  They have no desire to learn about what Judaism or Chrisianity is or even actually read their own books to see what a deprave faith they are aping each day on their dirty rugs..

[Rhuan]

Here's TROP's view on this one, they make some good points:

Six Muslim clerics are complaining about personal "humiliation," after being removed from a US Airways plane in Minneapolis following passenger complaints that they were acting in a suspicious manner.  Apparently, the imams were standing up in the cabin and audibly reciting prayers in Arabic.  Interestingly, one of those taken off seems to have constructed a profound sociological analysis in short order, and explained that "ignorance about Islam" was at the root of the problem.

Baloney.  Americans are all too familiar with the phrase, "Allah Akbar."  It is something that is chanted while brutal and insanely senseless acts of violence are conducted on people who don't deserve it.  It is repeated during beheadings and shootings, and right before suicide bombings.  It was spoken by 9/11 hijackers, as they slaughtered three thousand people in the name of Islam.

Only an idiot would be comfortable hearing the words, "Allah Akbar," right before take off.

As if to corroborate our point, the president of the North American Imams Federation (the conference from which the clerics were returning) said, "I never felt bad in my life like that. Never. Six imams. Six leaders in this country. Six scholars in handcuffs. It's terrible."

In other words, Muslims such as he didn't feel as badly when hijacked planes were flown into the twin towers as they do about seeing one of their own pulled off a flight in handcuffs...

...and that's exactly what makes the rest of us so understandably nervous about Muslims and their religion.

[Rhuan]

From jihadwatch.org:

Muslim religious leaders removed from a Minneapolis flight last week exhibited behavior associated with a security probe by terrorists and were not merely engaged in prayers, according to witnesses, police reports and aviation security officials.
Witnesses said three of the imams were praying loudly in the concourse and repeatedly shouted "Allah" when passengers were called for boarding US Airways Flight 300 to Phoenix.

"I was suspicious by the way they were praying very loud," the gate agent told the Minneapolis Police Department.

Passengers and flight attendants told law-enforcement officials the imams switched from their assigned seats to a pattern associated with the September 11 terrorist attacks and also found in probes of U.S. security since the attacks -- two in the front row first-class, two in the middle of the plane on the exit aisle and two in the rear of the cabin.

"That would alarm me," said a federal air marshal who asked to remain anonymous. "They now control all of the entry and exit routes to the plane."

A pilot from another airline said: "That behavior has been identified as a terrorist probe in the airline industry."

But the imams who were escorted off the flight in handcuffs say they were merely praying before the 6:30 p.m. flight on Nov. 20, and yesterday led a protest by prayer with other religious leaders at the airline's ticket counter at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.

Mahdi Bray, executive director of the Muslim American Society Freedom Foundation, called removing the imams an act of Islamophobia and compared it to racism against blacks.

"It's a shame that as an African-American and a Muslim I have the double whammy of having to worry about driving while black and flying while Muslim," Mr. Bray said.

[MassuhDGoodName]

Re:  "...these vermin were blocking exits, were spread out, and were praying very loudly. ALLLAHHH..."

A highly placed government source, who prefers not to be identified, has reported most reliably, that in fact the Mohammedans were passing gas...not praying!

[genteelgentile]

At least there is some measure of political incorrectness, some hope left.  Muslims should be searched Very thoroughly before getting on a plane.  Sorry Mahmoud, but your very being is a problem.

[MarZutra]

At least there is some measure of political incorrectness, some hope left.  Muslims should be searched Very thoroughly before getting on a plane.  Sorry Mahmoud, but your very being is a problem.

Agreed   I do happen to like Dav's position as well....   

[davkakach]

At least there is some measure of political incorrectness, some hope left.  Muslims should be searched Very thoroughly before getting on a plane.  Sorry Mahmoud, but your very being is a problem.

I second Marzutra's opinion.   

[Hail Columbia]

Those sand nighers better be thankful to Allah that the passenger didn't take matters into his own hands, as he has every right to do, since, you know, "NEVER AGAIN!"?

[LeChayim]

Mahdi Bray, executive director of the Muslim American Society Freedom Foundation, called removing the imams an act of Islamophobia...

He's right. I'm afraid of Muslims. With good reason.