Subscribe!On Monday of this week, six Muslim imams were removed from a flight. It seems the reason was that a passenger gave a note to an attendant after witnessing them perform their normal evening prayers.
At that point, the airline had a choice. Display a bit of religous tolerance and dismiss the note. Anyone with at least some amount of education should know about the prayer rituals that are an important part of Islam. The same passenger that passed the note thought the imams had made anti-US statements before boarding. Thus, the fear-mongering that Bush and Cheney have been spreading since Sept. 11, 2001 led to the successful violation of these six men's rights.
The only defense I can see that US Airways has is the report that the men split into groups of two and did not sit in their assigned seats. However, how full was this plane? I've been on a nearly empty plane before and in such a case it's common for people not to sit in their assigned seats.
I believe the most disturbing news from this incident is a statement made by Russ Knocke, a spokesman fo the Department of Homeland Security. "We do not criticize anyone who errs on the side of security." That's right folks, that's your civil liberties being destroyed in the name of security. The unthoughtful and nonchalant manner in which this statement seems to have been made provides evidence that basic civil rights and liberties are being sacrificed. Especially coming from the Department of Homeland Security.
So, anytime someone prays before boarding a plane, anytime someone makes an anti-US remark, anytime someone criticizes our nation's policies or the President, are they going to be removed from a plane? Are they going to be detained and questioned for hours? Remember, this country was founded on the principles of individual freedom, that one could exercise his/her religion and express his/her opinions without government interference. It seems too many of us have forgotten that due to the blinding fear spread by our current leaders.
