Juan Williams' firing over remarks about Muslim airline passengers may have the perverse effect of worsening airline security if travelers and airport personnel become self-conscious about reporting suspicious behavior.
It was, after all, this kind of fear of being branded discriminatory that led a Portland airline agent to clear two 9/11 bombers -- including Mohammed Atta -- through to their fateful destination in Boston: Four years after the attacks, former US Airlines employee Michael Tuohey said he was still haunted by guilt that he did not act on his suspicions.
"I said to myself, 'If this guy doesn't look like an Arab terrorist, then nothing does.' Then I gave myself a mental slap, because in this day and age, it's not nice to say things like this," Tuohey told the Maine Sunday Telegram. "You've checked in hundreds of Arabs and Hindus and Sikhs, and you've never done that. I felt kind of embarrassed."
And yet it was exactly that kind of instinct by fellow passengers that initially kept shoe bomber Richard Reid off his first attempt to board a Paris-Miami flight on December 21, 2001. The world was still jittery in the months following 9/11, and travelers were more concerned about their safety than political correctness. Reid's disheveled appearance attracted notice; ditto the fact he did not check any luggage for the transatlantic flight.
Reid was cleared to fly, by French security, however, the next day -- on American Airlines flight 63 -- and were he more competent, and the passengers less alert to his appearance, that flight number would also go down into the annals of successful Islamic terrorist attacks against passenger aircraft.
Three years after the shoe-bombing incident, I experienced my own episode of terrorist profiling (and maybe that's what we should call it: not "racial" profiling but "terrorist" profiling, because the two are completely different. The latter does not arise out of irrational prejudice).
Here's what happened: In January and February, 2004, there was a flurry of terrorist threats against international flights between London and Paris and Washington; some flights were canceled; aircraft were grounded and searched; in one instance, F-16 fighter jets escorted a British Airways flight from Heathrow to Dulles.
In March, my husband and I took our three children on a holiday in Europe: our return flight, aboard Air France, connected through Paris' Charles de Gaulle airport. We had a three-hour layover before we could board our homebound jet to Washington-Dulles. After clearing international security and poking around the terminal for a bit, the five of us settled into benches in the empty departure lounge -- empty, that was, except for two suspicious-looking men in a bench opposite ours.
I say suspicious because they matched almost every profile of a terrorist I'd ever read: Both looked to be about 25 or 26, of Arab descent, beards, dressed in the modern Atta traveling fashion of jeans and t-shirts. Neither had any carry-on bags for an eight-hour flight. One of the men was reading an Arabic newspaper while the other seemed twitchy -- he kept looking around, and repeatedly kept pulling out his documents from a small bag to check them over again. I became fixated on them for the next two hours: I had books and magazines but my eyes kept straying to watch what they were up to. After a little bit, both men took to pacing nervously -- when they weren't looking over their documents again. I was trying to think of what purpose they would have to travel to Washington: They were not with family members. They were obviously not businessmen -- and yet they were too old to be students.
I leaned over to my husband, who was absorbed in a book: "Have you been watching these guys?" I asked my husband quietly, keen that the children not overhear me.
"No why?"
I explained what I'd been seeing, and he took to occasionally glancing up from his reading to keep an eye on them as well. Gradually more passengers began filtering into the lounge as the flight departure grew closer. Then, promptly at three o'clock, the two men went over to a large window, fell to their knees and began elaborately praying to Mecca.
"That's it," I told him. "I'm not getting on this plane."
"I'm sure it's okay," he murmured back. "They would have been pretty thoroughly checked by security."
"The shoebomber was checked by security."
"Let me go speak to the people at the Air France desk."
There was a very French-looking security man: white bushy hair, a big white mustache, and a girth that suggested he enjoyed his duck confit and lunchtime Bordeaux as much as his other fellow citizens of the Republic.
He listened to my husband, nodded, glanced over at the two men, then came over to speak to me. I stepped away from the children, who were all preoccupied with their electronic playthings. I reported everything I'd watched and he listened gravely -- I could not tell whether he thought he was dealing with a hysterical mother or not.
"Madame, I can assure you that no aspect of security has been overlooked on this flight."
"Why are you so certain."
He smiled slightly. "Because I am privy to security measures that I cannot discuss with you. French security is not so -- ahh -- let me say it is different from American security. Let me repeat: this is a very safe flight."
Over his shoulder I watched the two men join the boarding queue: they looked actively jumpy by this point.
"And what happens if we don't want to get on. Can we change to another flight?"
The security guard excused himself for a moment, spoke briefly with the gate crew, and returned to us. "There is a flight tomorrow morning. It would be our pleasure to change you to that flight if that is your preference. No charge of course. But you will have to wait for us to remove your bags from the plane."
My husband and I discussed it between us. He was prepared to go ahead but equally okay to cancel out of the flight if I was that nervous; I felt a little embarrassed by my fears. Then I looked at the bent line of the heads of my children, fighting imaginary enemies on their toys. Was I going to trust their fates to the assurances of an airline security guard?
"If we stayed, we could get a room at one of the airport hotels, take the train in to Paris for dinner, and return here tomorrow morning," I proposed. "That wouldn't be so bad --"
"No."
"The alternative," I continued, "would be for you to have me digging my nails into your forearm for eight hours..."
We waited for our bags to be removed from the plane. The children were delighted at this turn of events. They had never seen Paris.
The next day we had a pleasant flight home. And the flight we had rejected landed without incident. So, did we do the right thing?
Certainly every one of us acts self-protectively, weighing the risks of any given situation. I have never since refused to get on a plane for fears of another passenger -- but then, I've never been confronted again with such suspiciously acting travelers on a flight that had recently been under terrorist threat.
Now, nearly seven years later, and in the wake of the Juan Williams incident, I ask myself: Would I make that same decision again?
Without question. And I hope I would still have the guts to report a troubling passenger to an airline clerk without fear that I might be branded racist.
Cross-posted at FrumForum.com
Follow Danielle Crittenden on Twitter: www.twitter.com/dcrittenden1
Rabbi Jason Miller: The Tefillin Bomber Strikes Again
http://www.wmctv.com/Global/story.asp?S=13392236
Mission accomplished, but I suspect you would be watching passengers you suspect to be Muslim, thinking every little thing they do is a sign of terrorist activity. Will you be watching the white passengers as closely?
"Then, promptly at three o'clock, the two men went over to a large window, fell to their knees and began elaborately praying to Mecca."
You can't be serious. You are troubled because they are praying? Would it make you feel better to ban all Muslims from flying? Who knows what those brown people are up to?
" that's what we should call it: not "racial" profiling but "terrorist" profiling, because the two are completely different. The latter does not arise out of irrational prejudice"
Sorry, that is racial profiling. You are acting out of irrational prejudice. Suspecting them of being terriorists because of your prejudices.
But, I can understand where someone would 'think' something racist and derogatory--its human nature.
Whenever I see White people, I can't help but think back to text books and reading what White people did to non-Whites in America for centuries, and what they've done to the continent of Africa. So, it's not irrational to fear White people based on the knowledge that these people will stop at nothing to make sure that non-Whites are disadvantaged.
I get the same fear when I meet Zionist Jews--I fear they're going to claim that my house or any of my property belongs exclusively to them because their religion and their God has given them the privileged 'Chosen' status. It's not irrational fear. They continue to make the same outrageous claims about Palestinian property.
I guess we can never be safe flying, living in our houses, or being of a shade darker than white. I can probably say that the former of the 3 fears has occurred because of the latter two fears...but what do I know, i'm only an occupied brown terrorist
Not all 1.5 billion Muslims are like your friendly neighbor who lives below you in your trendy flat building, eats pork, drinks wine, and listens to mumford and sons, just like you (see, harmless)! The majority of Muslims worldwide are actually observant, meaning they believe everything that the Quran says. Which means that they are passionately committed to helping Islam take over the world as a complete system of rule (political, social, and religious). In the course of this, they want you to become a Muslim, or be forced into subjugation and pay a special tax because you don't believe like they believe. And, of course, some just want to kill you.
Why are Westerners so ignorant about what Islam really is? Stop listening to the liberal westernized imams - they do not reflect the majority opinion of Muslims worldwide, nor the established orthodox position of Islam as a religion. Read the Quran, at least, and pay special attention to the parts that say:
- a Muslim man can beat his wife if she is disobedient to him (Surah 4:34)
- to a true Muslim, a non-Muslim (even one wearing skinny jeans and/or fidel hat) is an outright enemy (Surah 4:101)
- a Muslim cannot have true friendship with a non-Muslim (Surah 5:54)
- a good Muslim should seek to fight physically and financially against non-Muslims (Surah 4:95; Surah 9:5)
Also take some time to peruse Hadiths, which are basically oral traditions about things Muhammed (pbuh) said, did, or approved of. They are almost universally given spiritual authority, and discuss things like why gay people must be killed and how Jews cause stale food. You can find pretty good english translations online. I'll include a fun sample:
"The last hour won't come before the Muslims would fight the Jews and Muslims will kill them so Jews would hide behind rocks and trees. Then the rocks and tree would call: 'Oh Muslim, oh servant of God! There is a Jew behind me, come and kill him . . .'" Book 041, Number 6986
And every bosnian I have met is europeon, many with blond hair and light, colourful eyes.
1) Many lebanese, Syrian and significant palistinian populations look like europeans.
2) Most of the suicide bombers in 9/11 were clean shaven, dressed western. Many didn't have accents.
It's common sense, that to not arouse any unwanted attention, one should not stick out.
Jihad Jane wore a burqa all times EXCEPT when she was caught, Jihad Jane dressed noramlly.
As a Persian, I am used to people like that, they just stare at you if they hear you talk a language they can't quite pinpoint, like Persian for ex. As soon as I encounter an example of a nosy rude person staring at me or at a group of us at a public place, I ALWAYS start throwing some Arabic catchy words out like Allah or Akbar just to piss them off and freak them out, and that is the case with most other Persians. And as far as being a terrorist, sure, I guess a westernized atheist like me could be profiled as a terrorist, she sure would think that, since I was born/raised in Iran.
I will give you credit for one thing...at least you are not a closeted bigot. Everyone knows that you are a proud bigot. Not only did you apply your predjudice to those two young men but also the security gentleman...you are an equal opportunity bigot. Maybe YOU shouldn't be traveling outside the US...you give the rest of us a bad name.
I hope that I am never unlucky enough to be in a terminal with you. I am Catholic and I bless myself before baording a flight...oooohhhhh scary....praying....
"She lives in an ethnically and economically diverse neighborhood within the DC city line, yet chooses to hang out with a bunch of rich women from the burbs, all the while feeling inferior and embarassed."
Did you model Amanda Bright after yourself? Because her personality and your personality look near identical to me.
Your pride in your own fears and bigotry is shocking. The fact that the breaking point for you was that they chose to pray toward Mecca speaks for itself. The fact that you express no shame for your prejudice toward people you admit were innocent reveals a very lost soul.
I am sure your brilliant profiling instincts will save you next time Al-Qaeda uses a white man or woman to carry out their missions. And yes, they'll do that EXACTLY because people like you will be focused on superficial appearances rather than evidence of a real threat. That is why the 9-11 attackers met at strip clubs -- people like you are terrified bearded old Muslims on their knees rather young clean-cut guys hanging out with strippers.
You mean like the government told us to do for years after 9/11?
I would like to NOT thank Ms. Crittenden and her like-minded (Juan William?) for that.