Muslim Group Arrested For Praying On Plane

[Kadie]

Nov 21, 2006 10:50 am US/Pacific

Muslim Group Arrested For Praying On Plane

(CBS13) MINNEAPOLIS, Mn. A group of Muslim leaders say they were pulled off an airliner in Minneapolis for saying prayers right before the jet was about to take off.

A passenger thought it was suspicious and reported it to the captain. Security workers then asked all six men to leave the plane, when the men refused the police pulled them off in handcuffs.

"Since we came to America we've trying to make people understand us, but they don't, and this has undone what we've been trying to do since five years," said Omar Shahin of the North American Imams Federation.

more...
http://cbs13.com/topstories/local_story_325135324.html


Group Calls For Probe After Imams Taken Off Flight

Nov. 21 - The Council on American-Islamic Relations called Tuesday for an investigation into the behavior of airline staff and airport security in the removal of six Muslim scholars from a US Airways flight a day earlier.

A passenger raised concerns about the imams -- three of whom said their normal evening prayers in the airport terminal before boarding the Phoenix-bound plane, according to one -- through a note passed to a flight attendant, according to Andrea Rader, a spokeswoman for US Airways.

"We are concerned that crew members, passengers and security personnel may have succumbed to fear and prejudice based on stereotyping of Muslims and Islam," Nihad Awad, the council's executive director, said in a news release.

The six were returning from a conference in Minneapolis of the North American Imams Federation, said Omar Shahin of Phoenix, president of the group.

"They took us off the plane, humiliated us in a very disrespectful way," Shahin said after the incident.

more...
http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?section=nation_world&id=4783013

[mike_c]

1. this is outrageous-- do we arrest xtians for praying on planes...?

This is utterly shameful.

[EstimatedProphet]

41. I know for a fact we don't

I saw a horde of them in BWI having a prayerfest in front of the security lineup last Wednesday.

[longship]

2. They should pay dearly for this.

Some people need to lose their jobs. Pronto!

This is completely outrageous.

[bloom]

3. If Muslims can't' pray on planes - then NOBODY should be allowed to

pray in public. Is that what they want? :crazy: :crazy: :crazy: :crazy: :crazy: :crazy:

:yoiks:


:grr:

[DemoDemoCratCrat]

13. It would have bothered me, I'll admit.

They did so pray on the plane, per AP http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/1121ImamsFlight21-ON.html
"Three of them stood and said their normal evening prayers together on the plane..."
So they prayed in the terminal and prayed again on the plane. What non-muslim wouldn't wonder about that?

A caller to a Phoenix radio talk show (admittedly very conservative) claimed that the passengers had
already received instructions to be seated and fasten seat belts. Maybe, maybe not.

I have never, in 45 years of air travel, seen a person rise from his seat (on a plane) to pray, or
even to pray in such a demonstrable manner that anyone else would notice.
If six passengers in different areas of my plane did so in unison, unusual in appearance,
I'm sure I'd freak out, too.

(edit) oops. Somehow I replied to the wrong post. Right topic, though.

[bloom]

15. I think it's pretty hilarious

That praying in public - which is so revered and such a right wing issue - would end up causing such a problem.

Or that it would be seen as a threat.

It makes it seem all the more - that the Republican/Religious high horse - is only a horse for Christians - not for religion in general.

I think it would be great if Wiccans and other people were more visible in their prayers and religious observances. Shake people up a bit.

[athena]

23. They're probably afraid of flying.

I bet they were praying to God to protect their plane.

Why is it that when people see a Christian or a Jew praying, they see a person practising his/her religion -- and yet when they see a Muslim praying, they see a terrorist preparing to blow up a plane?

[sinkingfeeling]

4. OK, so the next flight I'm on and some Christian family starts to pray, I can

report it as suspicious behavior and they'll be put off my flight?

[412]

5. More like they'll pull YOU off the flight for instigating a riot nt

[Ms. Clio]

6. They did not "pray on plane" - what a misleading headline (from your first link)

They prayed in the terminal before boarding.

WTF is wrong with this country that one paranoid bigot can ruin six people's plans like this?

[babylonsister]

7. Nom. for outrage. This is beyond dumb, insulting, and xenophobic. nt

[Norquist Nemesis]

8. The passenger that passed the note should have to do 30 days

living as a Muslim. (Anyone see the show 30 Days where a guy took the challenge to live as a Muslim?) The passenger became fearful due to ignorance. It's not an excuse, but it's not suprising either. It makes you wonder if he's been listening to hate-radio and all of the "THEY WANT TO KILL US!" mantra.

Notice: They prayed BEFORE they got on the plane. The passenger waits until they get on the plane to 'pass a note'.

[Ravenseye]

9. The funny part..

The freepers will scream that this is a good thing, and that the terrorists were muslim, and that we should be profiling, etc.

The terrorists didn't pray in the airport on mats prior to getting on the plane. They shaved their beards, wore normal clothes, were clean and respectfull....and then took the planes down.

Now suddenly a man wears a traditional garment, has a beard, and says his ROUTINE prayers, and people go apeshit. Honey...If those guys were going to do something on the plane, do you think they'd be so idiotic to call attention to themselves like that?

Suddenly it's become illegal in this country to not be a white christian, in many practical ways. "JUST ACT NORMAL" is the rallying cry. Don't draw attention to yourselfs. Well gee, Mr. Muslim, I have no problem with you, but if you're going to fly you should wear a normal american suit, and shave your beard, and not say your prayers...that way I'm not scared...

Just like the terrorists did.

[Norquist Nemesis]

10. Bush will use it as an example of keeping us "safer" in his next

address to the nation.

[karlrschneider]

37. Anybody on MY plane (that I am flying) starts praying out loud like that

will be out the door before they can say Alla Akbar. On the ground or at 35000 feet.

[Ms. Clio]

56. THEY WERE NOT ON THE PLANE!!!!!!

Sorry to shout, but doesn't anybody read links?

Shahin said Tuesday that three members of the group prayed in the terminal before the six boarded the plane. They entered individually, except for one member who is blind and needed to be guided, Shahin said. Once on the plane, the six did not sit together, he said.

"We did nothing" on the plane, Shahin said.


Of course, he's just a suspected terrorist, no need to listen to his side of the story, I guess.

[karlrschneider]

64. Several of the news reports said they were. I don't know who to believe.

But my statement stands either way.

[Ms. Clio]

67. Yes, it must be the imam who is lying, and the "news reports" always tell the truth

I must admit I wouldn't know, since I don't watch corporate media "news."

So you're saying if three guys are quietly praying in the terminal, you aren't going to let them on the plane?

[karlrschneider]

71. No, that's not what I said. If they pull that shit ON MY PLANE is what I said.

...
When I am driving it, I am in fucking charge. I would do the same thing if someone was hopping around hollering at Jaysus. I couldn't give a shit less what they did inside the airport.

[Ms. Clio]

73. You said "either way" which implied to me if they were praying on the plane, or not

thanks for clearing that up.

[karlrschneider]

74. Yes, I stated it poorly. Mea culpa on that.

Sorry...

[Ms. Clio]

76. no problemo

just so glad to have that straightened out -- worried me for a minute.

[Ravenseye]

65. Any kind of praying or just Muslim prayers?

So let's say a muslim american who has served in Iraq says a prayer before he gets on your plane, or while on it. You're going to kick him off too? You know...You can do whatever you want on your own plane, but muslim americans are americans' too. Arab americans are americans too. Dark skinned americans are americans too. These people by ALL news accounts were american's who had passed through security.

What should a muslim american do? Change how he dresses? Shave his traditional beard? Not say his prayers?

I can't that you're a donating member of DU, yet there is your star.

You're a racist.

[Ms. Clio]

68. blew me away, too

stunning

[karlrschneider]

72. I fly a privately owned plane and I am the fucking boss on it.

I don't give a rat's ass whether the praying guy is white, black, brown, green or pink with purple polka dots, he starts that shit on my plane, he's out. It's that goddamned simple.

And you want to question my DU credentials? Bring it on. I am NOT a racist and I resent your unfounded accusation. Fuck you.

[Ravenseye]

77. Hey man it's your plane

You're the one discriminating based on someone belonging to a particular group. Maybe it's not racism. I don't know the term for it. Whatever it is, you're discriminating against someone for belonging to a group.

It's assholes like you that make life hell for me and my family in this country even though we've been here for generations and bled for it. Fuck you.

[jwirr]

11. Who here in Minnesota did such a crazy thing? Was it airport

authorities or homeland security or some other government agency?

[Hawkowl]

12. Arrested for not leaving

The headline is misleading. I don't think they were arrested for praying. It sounds like they were asked to leave the plane, they refused to comply, and thus they were arrested. If the Captain asks you to get off the plane, you GET OFF THE PLANE. I think had they complied, they would've been re booked on another flight. I feel for them being singled out, but there simply wasn't any choice once they refused to comply with the flight crew's instructions.

[walldude]

14. It's a sad state of affairs when people feel the need

to justify this kind of thing. Shows you just how far down the rabbit hole we have gone. Would you have gone quietly when asked to leave the plane because you are a poster on DU and were reading an Al Franken book?

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

16. They never should have been asked to leave.

Frankly, looking for excuses for this is bullshit.

[Lone_Star_Dem]

20. But why were they asked to leave

Because one person on the plane complained. That's it. One person passing notes, like a child in school, caused them to be expelled from the plane.

That's what I have an issue with.

[Ravenseye]

66. They claim they weren't asked

They say that they were never asked to deplane, and that the first they heard of it was when the police arrived.

[majorjohn]

80. Well think about this..

You just got into a plane after waiting four hours or more at the terminal. Hoping your flight would arrive on time, you cannot wait to get back home. Last thing you'll want is a flight attendant approaching you while you're reading the on-flight entertainment system guide, and to tell you what? "Sir, could you and your fellow companions all leave the plane immediately!". For what reason exactly? Because someone passed a note thinking you're a terrorist. I'm sure you'd be a tad bit confused. You know, the sad part is, some people think that Muslims or whoever else they fear or don't like, have no feelings. Yea go ahead and treat them like crap, I'm sure pissing them off would make you feel a whole lot better, and safer too? (not saying you, but just the racist people, like the guy that passed the note)

[frebrd]

17. K & R nm

[Balbus]

18. I don't care what religion you are...

If you're praying out loud on an airplane before take-off I want to get-the-fuck off! Taking whoever is praying off and leaving me on is not good enough for me. I'll catch the next plane, thank you.

[wuushew]

19. Why?

fear is the mind killer

[Balbus]

26. So are airplane crashes.

I'm not a happy-flier to begin with, so I don't want to hear some religious nut praising Yahweh, Jesus, Allah, Buddha or Kurt Cobain before I take off.

[Lone_Star_Dem]

21. I've sat next to a Christian who was afraid to fly and prayed the entire flight

I didn't request they be tossed of the plane for being a terrorist though.

[Balbus]

27. I don't want them to leave, either. In fact, I prefer they stay.

I'll leave.

[izzybeans]

24. I merely want to tell them, "While you are thanking God after landing, I will go

thank the flight crew for us all. Hallelujah, Praise Flight Engineer Smith!" Either that or tell them that they can get a prescription for that.


But hey, if they think their nerves will be calmed as a consequence then whatever...

[Warren DeMontague]

22. Wasn't there a plane flight a couple years back where the PILOT tried to force the passengers to

pray?

Ah, yes.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/3472265.stm

Why wasn't he arrested?

I seem to remember that the right-wing media nabobs were terribly upset about the 'demonization' of God-Fearing folk like this pilot, and what about his "right" to subject the captive passengers to religious interrogation and proseltyzing?

[JacksonWest]

25. You know how much we've fallen as a country

when we have to make a religion our enemy. I prefer the godless communists. Those were the days.

[Warren DeMontague]

28. I don't think it's about "having" to make religion our enemy.

I think it's about selectively arresting people for openly practicing their religion by themselves, while defending the "right" of other people to foist their religion onto those of us who aren't interested.

My attitude is like the Vegas slogan: "what happens in your head, stays in your head". If one wants to believe cartoons are blasphemous, gays and abortion are evil, or that dinosaurs on Noah's ark and a 6,000 year old Earth are "science", fine. But don't push it on the rest of us.

[JacksonWest]

30. There will always be an enemy.

The current "enemy" is Islam. It's covenient, pre-packaged, and not limited to any geographic area. Keeps fear alive at home and abroad. I don't disagree with you.

[Warren DeMontague]

34. I don't disagree with you, either.

I think what you're saying is exactly correct.

[Beaverhausen]

29. Did they pray in the terminal or on the plane?

Those stories contradict each other.

[pitohui]

31. in the terminal EOM

.

[AliceWonderland]

32. According to the MSNBC story, they prayed in the terminal.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15824096/

Shahin said Tuesday that three members of the group prayed in the terminal before the six boarded the plane. They entered individually, except for one member who is blind and needed to be guided, Shahin said. Once on the plane, the six did not sit together, he said.

“We did nothing” on the plane, Shahin said.

The six were among passengers who boarded Flight 300, bound for Phoenix, around 6:30 p.m. Monday, airport spokesman Pat Hogan said.

...

When Shahin went back to the airport Tuesday morning, a ticketing agent told him his payment for Monday’s flight had been refunded and the airline wouldn’t sell more tickets to him or the other imams. An airline spokesman in Arizona said he wasn’t aware of the ticketing decision and could not comment.

[DemoDemoCratCrat]

36. per AP, in the plane

http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/1121ImamsFlight21-ON.html

Maybe it was both in the terminal and on the plane.

[Ms. Clio]

55. from the article above

Shahin said Tuesday that three members of the group prayed in the terminal before the six boarded the plane. They entered individually, except for one member who is blind and needed to be guided, Shahin said. Once on the plane, the six did not sit together, he said.

"We did nothing" on the plane, Shahin said.

Of course, he's a suspected terrorist, so who needs to believe his side of it?

[Ravenseye]

69. nowhere in that article does it mention praying on the plane

Only in the terminal. Not that it matters.

[DemoDemoCratCrat]

70. The stories do seem to contradict

Most likely, there is some truth in all of the reports from reliable sources and follow-up reports will make everybody seem smart.
Maybe something happened on the plane that wasn't praying per se but was interpreted as praying by infidels.

[Jcrowley]

33. K & R n/t

[Minnesota_Lib]

35. Tucker just said they were arrested in "Mindianapolis." ROTFLMAO!

LOL..I have heard him say this before when referring to Minneapolis. What a freaking idiot.

[majorjohn]

38. So is this what it was like?

Note written by paranoid guy: I saw five terrorist-looking guys praying in the terminal. Please make them leave the plane ASAP!

Flight attendant: OMG! They're gonna blow up the plane! Better take this up to the captain.

Captain: Beep! Yes security, I have five terrorist-looking guys, definitely muslims, possibly arabs, on my plane, and the flight attendant here tells me they were praying in the terminal. Any thoughts?

Security: Holy fuck! Alright Captain, we'll be right over! Don't panic!



---
edited for typos

[Rex]

39. So...why didn't they ask the Muslims WHAT they were praying for?

Is that so hard to do?

Hi, I don't mean to be rude but what might your group be praying for?

Oh, a safe flight. Okay then.

So fucking easy.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

40. Ask them why?

Oh, goodness gracious! That's like asking a black man why he's sitting down at a lunch counter! Oh my odds and bodkins! *swoons*

[Rex]

42. LOL!

Odds and bodkins? Did you just make that up? ;)

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

43. Nope.

Although I'll be happy to take credit for it.

[karlrschneider]

51. According to Bill Shakespeare,

Ods Bodkins (or Bodykins) -- Od is an abbreviation of God ('od), and a bodkin
is a sharp instrument used for piercing, like a dagger. So literally, it's
"God's daggers."

:D

[Rex]

52. Well now.

I bow down! :yourock:

[karlrschneider]

53. Heh, thank my 11th grade English lit teacher, Mr. Lewis

He had Hamlet's soliloquy memorized (and did it very well) which encouraged me to research just what the hell was a 'bare bodkin' (A mere daggar). Fardels was another one I had to look up lo these many moons ago. Funny how we can remember some stuff from 45 years ago and have no idea what we did this morning.
:D

[Rex]

60. Hey were are my car keys???

I know the feeling! :D

[karlrschneider]

61. Don't ask me, I woke up naked in the hall closet with an empty bottle

of Southern Comfort. Oh, the pain...


;-)

[Rex]

62. OMG

SoCo. :thumbsup: My fav hard booze! Yay! :toast:

[NNN0LHI]

44. I consider myself pretty liberal and open minded but if I noticed a...

...bunch of Muslims praying on an airplane my family and I were on my primal instincts might kick in against my better judgment.

The fleeing option is off the table being on an airplane with the fight or flee aspect. So I might tackle them first and ask questions later.

Same think might happen if a group of Christians started loudly speaking in tongues while in flight.

Don

[majorjohn]

45. but the article says

they were praying before they got in the plane, not in the plane.

[NNN0LHI]

46. I seen an AP link above somewhere that said it was on the plane

That is what I was going by.

Don

[Ms. Clio]

54. they weren't on the plane, and they didn't even sit next to each other after they boarded

On edit, from the second link above:

Shahin said Tuesday that three members of the group prayed in the terminal before the six boarded the plane. They entered individually, except for one member who is blind and needed to be guided, Shahin said. Once on the plane, the six did not sit together, he said.

"We did nothing" on the plane, Shahin said.

[NNN0LHI]

57. That changes everything. This sounds like harassment to me n/t

[Ms. Clio]

59. that's what it was, IMO

a nasty little freeper bigot stirring up trouble for them.

[majorjohn]

47. IMPORTANT THOUGHT

For anyone or any article that states that those guys were praying on the plane, that must be a FALSE accusation because I just remembered this from a Muslim friend:

As far as I know, Muslims CANNOT pray DURING a trip, it has to be either before or after. Remember, a Muslim has to be facing Mecca when praying, and that's not possible on a plane!!!

If it was during the plane, then it could not have been a prayer, they were probably just reciting a few verses of the Quran, which would look like some sort of prayer, but in that case, they wouldn't have been doing that aloud, it's highly doubtful that someone would be reading out something out loud on a plane. And if all they were doing was reading the Quran, it's like accusing someone for reading their own holy book.


As far as I know, what I wrote is right. Is there anyone else that can confirm what I wrote?

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

48. They weren't praying on the plane.

They prayed in the airport. Then they got on the plane. Then some Michael Richards-esque bigot got upset about it and complained.

[majorjohn]

50. Yea, its for those that think it was on the plane

I read the article, and I think that's what happened. But then some people still think or atleast from what I understand that some article suggested that they were praying on the plane. At first it passed by normally, and then I was just like wait a minute, that can't be right at all because of the above reasons...

[wuushew]

58. informative post

thank you

:kick:

[Name removed]

63. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[majorjohn]

78. My post was to prove they werent praying on the plane...

As far as telling where Mecca is, when they're on land, they would have to use a compass to find out the exact direction.

Don't really know what you mean by the shortest way, or what you meant by the Hawaii thing either. I find it extremely direspectful to call what they do a dumbshit tradition? It's their way of praying, how is that bad? Don't get it.

[Perky]

49. everyone should have the right to pray anywhere they want. to. Right?

Regardless of faith. Right?

Possible point of clarification: They were not arrested. They were detained. They apparently were uncooperative and it never should have escalated the way it did. There was stereotyping and predjuduce to be su

[Zhade]

75. Racists.

NT!

[noonwitch]

79. Hey, at least now the christians aren't being singled out anymore!

You know, christians are so harrassed in this country, by people who wish them "Happy Holidays" instead of "Merry Christmas".

I did see the case they were talking about on FOX-a school that allows a display of a menorah and a crescent moon, but a creche (manger scene) is too religious of a symbol (they allowed a Christmas tree, which is not a christian symbol, but a traditional pagan one, originally). I think the school is wrong-the display should either ban all religious symbols (allow a Star of David as opposed to a menorah, to go with the X-mas tree), or make the display all-inclusive.

When I was a kid in Grand Rapids, we used to always laugh at this house that had a big creche scene out front with Santa and his reindeer landing on the room of the stable-all figures, from Mary, Joseph, the animals, Santa, the reindeer were all lighted figures, too. My mom thought it was extremely tacky.

[DemoDemoCratCrat]

81. new articles explain what happened

Don't shoot the messenger, please.

Article gives much more of the imams' side of it: http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/1122imams1122.html

But according to this, the FBI was already watching Omar Shahin: http://worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=53057
(beware, worldnetdaily has their own agenda)

So connecting the dots, the combination of the prayers (wherever they occured), appearance, switching of seats, prejudice, etc. stimulated suspicion in at least one passenger who wrote the note. When the pilot contacted security for a check, they said "possible terrorist ties" and that was all the pilot needed to hear.

And now I have a question. I understand that the ritual, scheduled prayers are directed toward Mecca. Is it allowed in Islam to do additional prayers that do not follow that ritual?

[majorjohn]

82. As far as I know...

All Muslim prayers are directed towards Mecca.