6 Muslin Imams remove from US Airways Flight

[jimcfs]

From FOXNews.com... anyone know anything? On another board, the original report was this was a 757... but someone else confirmed it was an A320.


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MINNEAPOLIS — Six passengers of Middle Eastern decent were removed from a US Airways flight Monday at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport and taken for questioning by police, an airport spokesman said.

The passengers had just boarded US Airways flight 300, bound for Phoenix, when crew members "saw suspicious activity" by the men and called airport police, said the spokesman, Pat Hogan. Police escorted the men off the plane and took them to be questioned, he said.

Hogan said he didn't immediately have further information.

The other passengers on the flight, which was carrying 170 people, were re-screened for boarding.

 

[Dog Wonder]

From FOXNews.com... anyone know anything? On another board, the original report was this was a 757... but someone else confirmed it was an A320.
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The other passengers on the flight, which was carrying 170 people, were re-screened for boarding.

170 people on a 320.

Hope the ones sitting on the wing didn't get blown off.

 

[hp_fa]

If it was West metal, it had to be a 757 since the A-320 only holds 150 pax.

 

[jimcfs]

If it was West metal, it had to be a 757 since the A-320 only holds 150 pax.

That was what I was wondering.

 

[rjh]

From FOXNews.com... anyone know anything? On another board, the original report was this was a 757... but someone else confirmed it was an A320.
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MINNEAPOLIS — Six passengers of Middle Eastern decent were removed from a US Airways flight Monday at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport and taken for questioning by police, an airport spokesman said.

The passengers had just boarded US Airways flight 300, bound for Phoenix, when crew members "saw suspicious activity" by the men and called airport police, said the spokesman, Pat Hogan. Police escorted the men off the plane and took them to be questioned, he said.

Hogan said he didn't immediately have further information.

The other passengers on the flight, which was carrying 170 people, were re-screened for boarding.

Apparently these passengers were acting suspicious, and were standing together at the boarding area. They said they didn't know each other, but after more investigation it was found that not only did they make reservations on the same date; but they also made the same changes to their reservations on the same date.

 

[NewHampshire Black Bears]

Apparently these passengers were acting suspicious, and were standing together at the boarding area. They said they didn't know each other, but after more investigation it was found that not only did they make reservations on the same date; but they also made the same changes to their reservations on the same date.

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rjh,

If "this" went down, as you've described(and I don't doubt that it did), it very well could have been a "TEST" by these people, and their BOSS's !!

NH/BB's

 

[sharktooth]

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rjh,

If "this" went down, as you've described(and I don't doubt that it did), it very well could have been a "TEST" by these people, and their BOSS's !!

NH/BB's

Middle Eastern descent. and, that would include Israelis as well as millions of Christians.

Yep. Nothing like a little anti-semitism from your "news as entertainment" boys at Faux News.

Sheesh. Acting suspicious? You guys would have a field day with Latins making their way through the system with cash tickets, hefty samsonites and most suspicious of all, speaking a furrin language with each other yet denying they "know" each other. I suppose if they were white it would be different.

Anyone as weak as you guys should be verbally slapped around but I ain't got time for crybabies right now.

Buncha drama queens......

 

[Hula Girl]

Middle Eastern descent. and, that would include Israelis as well as millions of Christians.

Yep. Nothing like a little anti-semitism from your "news as entertainment" boys at Faux News.

Sheesh. Acting suspicious? You guys would have a field day with Latins making their way through the system with cash tickets, hefty samsonites and most suspicious of all, speaking a furrin language with each other yet denying they "know" each other. I suppose if they were white it would be different.

Anyone as weak as you guys should be verbally slapped around but I ain't got time for crybabies right now.

Buncha drama queens......

Yeah, I remember where I was when I was watching a 'bunch of Latins' use our airplanes as weapons when they killed over 3000 people on our soil by slamming fully fueled jets into the World Trade Center towers, the Pentagon and a field in Pennsylvania.

 

[tahitigirl]

Fox News

Flight #300 doesn't show up on Catcrew so I'm guessing this must have happened on AWA metal.

 

[jimcfs]

Updated story this morning posted on USA Today...

6 imams removed from Twin Cities flight
Posted 11/21/2006 8:15 AM ET
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 cellphone 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 crewmembers, were re-screened for boarding, Rader said. The plane took off about three hours after the men were removed from the flight.

 

[WestCoastGuy]

This is life in the new millinium. Get used to it. Better safe, than sorry, always. This was absolutely the correct thing to do, even if a few egos were bruised.

 

[FM2436]

interesting

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061121/ap_on_...sengers_removed

 

[LCC_#1]

I don't claim to know all the details, but this article DOES bring up something that I feel needs to be addressed. One has to do with Arab/Muslims/ Islam and the other has to do with the average American.


Growing up in NC, I knew very few people of various ethnic and religious backgrounds. I was surrounded by whites and very few blacks. This was the '60's and social interaction with minorities was limited. There was one Catholic church in a community of 300,000 and the only Jewish person I knew was the eye doctor...Dr. Shapiro...go figure. I only knew one Muslim, Mohammed, an Iranian...poor fella.

I feel most Americans really are isolated from Arabs, Muslims, and Islam in general. I feel most categorize Muslims as only Arab, whereas many practicing Muslims are African-American along with a few white Americans. On the US Airways flight, would the crew had... knowing that it's 2006 and not 1966....felt differently had the gathering of men been black or hispanic? Now I know that many of you will make the arguement of the 3000 souls lost by a team of Arabs, but that does NOT justify paranoia and ignorance. Middle Easterners are not the only people who have a beef with the good ole USA and one day we will see another Timothy McVeigh rise up and cause havoc. I only pray the TM's of this country don't decide to team up with the Islamic fanatics or this country will be paralyzed with fear.

BTW, those of us who have been flying long enough are use to the prayers of Muslims at 35,000 feet. Most are discreet and and most f/a's are respectful of their ritual.

Having said all that, I do believe the Muslim community has a hard time educating most Americans on their religion. Yes, Islam may have some passages that seem over the top, but I can say the same for the Bible. We call those people Radical Conservative Christians and they are no different than the Radical Islamic Muslims. If one really believes in God, I don't think that God would approve of the extremities whether it is radical Muslims using planes to kill 3000 or radical Christians cruxifying a young man on a fence because he is homosexual. Both feel their cause is just. Most of us think their nuts.

I feel Muslims and Arabs need to speak out more to the American people. It is very difficult to educate Americans one on one as the LARGER Muslims communites involving Arabs are generally in larger cities. Arabs DO suffer the same injustices that blacks suffered in the 60/70's (and some stil today) because of stereotypes and fear. It really IS no different.

The difference is that the young men of 9/11 really did a great disservice to ALL Arabs living in America. They assimilated to the American way of life and used that American way of life to harm her. That act ALONE has created a wave of distrust that I feel may last for MANY years, alienating peaceful Arab Americans throughout our country. I can see why many in the Arab American community are fearful to speaking up, as maybe THEY will be looked at with the same distrust.

When I lived in NYC, I knew MANY Arabs. They hailed from many areas of the Middle East. Some had been here a few years and many for decades. God knows I took enough cabs and went to enough delis to get to know a few. I was very loyal to my local deli as most NYorkers can be. Most are very kind and really love America. They are extremely loyal to Islam, but none ever came across as extreme. They all enjoy when there is an interest in their way of life (aren't we all?) and are not opposed to telling you their feeling about the Middle East. OVERWHELMINGLY, most feel American policy is inconsistant with regards to Israel and the rest of the Middle East. While most didn't feel the events of 9/11 were justified, many can understand WHY Osama Bin Laden did what he did. They feel they have no voice as they will be seen as anti American. Most I spoke with felt that BECAUSE of YEARS of metaling in Middle Eastern affairs, a 9/11 was bound to happen. Does this mean we should be suspicious of them? I hope not. And most have a hard time connecting Osama to Saddam. Humm, me too.

If we are going to be suspicious of every person who either opposed the Iraqi war or govt policy, I guess I too will have to be kept from flying or working on an airplane.

We must be smarter when it comes to deciding what a threat may be. If I was on that particular airplane I would be looking for Arabs or frankly ANYONE who had no recent interaction but seem to acknowledge one another with quick glances and those that are over observant of the movements of the aircraft. Most people on an airplane will openly acknowledge someone thaey know personally or someone they recognize from say a convention. It happens all the time. Most don't just nod their head and take a quick glance.

I didn't mean to be so long, but we MUST do better with our attempt to prevent another event like 9/11. We ARE America...a land of immigrates..legal AND illegal. Arabs are here like the rest of us. They deserve the same respect as anyone else that lives here. How can we do this? I'm really not sure how, but I do know that is amazing that PRAYER grew suspicion from a passenger that I would be willing to bet claims to be a Christain. Hummm, if the average Christain would only pray as much. <_<

Perhaps if the passengers and crew were just a wee bit educated, they would know that MSP has a HUGE Arab American community and that there is a big chance a few Muslims just might be on your plane and the flight just might leave at their stated prayer time.

 

[PITbull]

Yesterday, profiling would have been considered ethically wrong and most Americans find discrimination ignorant and appalling. Its unfortunate that today, that Americans know that radical extremists have infiltrated and are in our society hidden among us, and all over the world. It's unfortunate that the world must deal with an extreme religious mind-set that feel they are called to martyrdom.
Profiling is humiliating to both the individual(s) who are being profiled, and those who feel the need to speak up and bring to the attention of authorities certain appearance and behaviors that maybe threatening.

I can understand the reasons behind it. I do not believe it is to be deliberately malicious, but rather a necessary precaution one must take in today's dangerous environment. It does not just incude muslims. Anyone who acts suspiciously and may pose a potential threat to society are being singled out.

I say, call the authorities to investigate, and then ask the questions. Best to be safe, than sorry that no one acted, rather than just having a notion and letting the moment pass.

 

[Squonk]

Well stated PITbull! People being singled out for those reasons must simply suck it up. It shouldn't even become news worthy. The TSA needs to employ profilers like EL AL and single out those that pose a potential threat. Our current system needs to add another weapon to search for, people!

:rant: