Comments on: Flying While Muslim, the Prequel http://swampland.blogs.time.com/2009/01/06/flying-while-muslim-the-prequel/ A blog about politics. Wed, 09 Dec 2009 07:10:49 +0000 http://wordpress.com/ hourly 1 By: Mr. Nice Guy http://swampland.blogs.time.com/2009/01/06/flying-while-muslim-the-prequel/comment-page-1/#comment-32503 Mr. Nice Guy Wed, 07 Jan 2009 20:03:39 +0000 http://swampland.blogs.time.com/?p=9464#comment-32503 Next time I fly - probably a cold day in Hades - I'll wear a t-shirt that says, "F.ck the TSA!" and see where that gets me. Seriously - f.ck 'em. Next time I fly - probably a cold day in Hades - I'll wear a t-shirt that says, "F.ck the TSA!" and see where that gets me. Seriously - f.ck 'em.

]]> By: cfukara http://swampland.blogs.time.com/2009/01/06/flying-while-muslim-the-prequel/comment-page-1/#comment-32340 cfukara Wed, 07 Jan 2009 04:23:43 +0000 http://swampland.blogs.time.com/?p=9464#comment-32340 rmrd Says: <i>" .. If the Iraqi man who became a US citizen wore an American flag on his t-shirt, would it have been perceived as a form of mockery and still result in a problem? .."</i> Ouch! Maybe. Then, say, he would be shot dead - or perhaps taken to Guantanamo as a SUSPECTED terrorist - to be tortured together with the Iraqis he may have fingered when he worked undercover for the 'coalition' in Iraq ... I smell movie rights, eh? ..I smell $$$? rmrd Says:
" .. If the Iraqi man who became a US citizen wore an American flag on his t-shirt, would it have been perceived as a form of mockery and still result in a problem? .."

Ouch!
Maybe. Then, say, he would be shot dead - or perhaps taken to Guantanamo as a SUSPECTED terrorist - to be tortured together with the Iraqis he may have fingered when he worked undercover for the 'coalition' in Iraq ... I smell movie rights, eh? ..I smell $$$?

]]> By: yoshiattack http://swampland.blogs.time.com/2009/01/06/flying-while-muslim-the-prequel/comment-page-1/#comment-32332 yoshiattack Wed, 07 Jan 2009 02:55:19 +0000 http://swampland.blogs.time.com/?p=9464#comment-32332 Lol. This reminds me of when my mom was detained for quite a while to be oversearched with a portable metal detector even when she informed the officials of what was causing the problem. I guess it was because she was south-east Asian...hmm. I smell money? Lol. This reminds me of when my mom was detained for quite a while to be oversearched with a portable metal detector even when she informed the officials of what was causing the problem. I guess it was because she was south-east Asian...hmm. I smell money?

]]> By: rmrd http://swampland.blogs.time.com/2009/01/06/flying-while-muslim-the-prequel/comment-page-1/#comment-32270 rmrd Tue, 06 Jan 2009 22:44:58 +0000 http://swampland.blogs.time.com/?p=9464#comment-32270 Subconscious ethnic bias has consequences far more deadly than being taken off of an aircraft. When a Caribbean man was killed by mistake by 39 shots fired by NYPD officers, some opined that if the Haitian gentleman had merely turned to the shouting armed men and raised his arms in surrender, he would not have been harmed. That stance is obviously ridiculous. An innocent person is not going to assume that armed men heading towards him in the early hours of the day are actually police. A person wearing a t-shirt in an airport doesn't know what words or images would trigger an adverse response. If the Iraqi man who became a US citizen wore an American flag on his t-shirt, would it have been perceived as a form of mockery and still result in a problem? Subconscious ethnic bias has consequences far more deadly than being taken off of an aircraft. When a Caribbean man was killed by mistake by 39 shots fired by NYPD officers, some opined that if the Haitian gentleman had merely turned to the shouting armed men and raised his arms in surrender, he would not have been harmed. That stance is obviously ridiculous. An innocent person is not going to assume that armed men heading towards him in the early hours of the day are actually police.

A person wearing a t-shirt in an airport doesn't know what words or images would trigger an adverse response. If the Iraqi man who became a US citizen wore an American flag on his t-shirt, would it have been perceived as a form of mockery and still result in a problem?

]]> By: Art Pepper http://swampland.blogs.time.com/2009/01/06/flying-while-muslim-the-prequel/comment-page-1/#comment-32225 Art Pepper Tue, 06 Jan 2009 21:26:09 +0000 http://swampland.blogs.time.com/?p=9464#comment-32225 What other alphabets should we avoid? Are ideographs OK? The TSA really should post signs about this stuff. What other alphabets should we avoid? Are ideographs OK? The TSA really should post signs about this stuff.

]]> By: midwestwife http://swampland.blogs.time.com/2009/01/06/flying-while-muslim-the-prequel/comment-page-1/#comment-32219 midwestwife Tue, 06 Jan 2009 21:16:58 +0000 http://swampland.blogs.time.com/?p=9464#comment-32219 Raed Jarrar is the guy that Salam Pax was blogging to during the first few years of the war. Our invasion completely disrupted the lives of his family members. He has a lovely, civic-minded, religious mother who wrote heart-breaking posts about the effects of the Iraq war on everyone around them. His mother is Shia. His father is Sunni. Because of the sectarianism we introduced in setting up the new Iraqi government, his family cannot live safely in Iraq anymore, but where can they go? He's safe in the US because he happened to fall in love with a woman with American citizenship ties. He was flying around the US doing public-speaking gigs to present an on-the-ground-Iraqi point of view of the war. That's how the stupid teeshirt incident happened. He confronted Richard Perle in front of a Frontline camera, and actually appeared to have an impact on the guy. I am so glad that he may be getting this money. I'm sure it will not be wasted or misspent. I'm from a part of the US where Arab-Americans have been a respected part of local communities for at least a century, and it infuriates me that we are now so casual about dismissing "arabs" as having no rights and deserving no respect. And no, I'm Scotch-Irish, not Arab-American. I just think tolerant multi-ethnicity is one of the wonders of America. Raed Jarrar is the guy that Salam Pax was blogging to during the first few years of the war. Our invasion completely disrupted the lives of his family members. He has a lovely, civic-minded, religious mother who wrote heart-breaking posts about the effects of the Iraq war on everyone around them.

His mother is Shia. His father is Sunni. Because of the sectarianism we introduced in setting up the new Iraqi government, his family cannot live safely in Iraq anymore, but where can they go?

He's safe in the US because he happened to fall in love with a woman with American citizenship ties.

He was flying around the US doing public-speaking gigs to present an on-the-ground-Iraqi point of view of the war. That's how the stupid teeshirt incident happened.

He confronted Richard Perle in front of a Frontline camera, and actually appeared to have an impact on the guy. I am so glad that he may be getting this money. I'm sure it will not be wasted or misspent.

I'm from a part of the US where Arab-Americans have been a respected part of local communities for at least a century, and it infuriates me that we are now so casual about dismissing "arabs" as having no rights and deserving no respect. And no, I'm Scotch-Irish, not Arab-American. I just think tolerant multi-ethnicity is one of the wonders of America.

]]> By: jose http://swampland.blogs.time.com/2009/01/06/flying-while-muslim-the-prequel/comment-page-1/#comment-32215 jose Tue, 06 Jan 2009 21:12:23 +0000 http://swampland.blogs.time.com/?p=9464#comment-32215 This reminds me of the Post Office in the hippie days. They would regularly fire folks for long hair, living in sin, and funny t-shirts. They did this for about five years until they stopped mostly due to the fact they lost every single case. This reminds me of the Post Office in the hippie days. They would regularly fire folks for long hair, living in sin, and funny t-shirts. They did this for about five years until they stopped mostly due to the fact they lost every single case.

]]> By: Cliff http://swampland.blogs.time.com/2009/01/06/flying-while-muslim-the-prequel/comment-page-1/#comment-32208 Cliff Tue, 06 Jan 2009 20:59:20 +0000 http://swampland.blogs.time.com/?p=9464#comment-32208 But did he get a Cinnabon? But did he get a Cinnabon?

]]> By: dunedweller http://swampland.blogs.time.com/2009/01/06/flying-while-muslim-the-prequel/comment-page-1/#comment-32202 dunedweller Tue, 06 Jan 2009 20:51:05 +0000 http://swampland.blogs.time.com/?p=9464#comment-32202 And I should also clarify #5: ...that is, if he wants to get where he's going - which is what you'd think people want to do in a f-ing airport! (not that he doesn't have the "right" to wear any shirt he pleases) And I should also clarify #5: ...that is, if he wants to get where he's going - which is what you'd think people want to do in a f-ing airport! (not that he doesn't have the "right" to wear any shirt he pleases)

]]> By: newfloridian http://swampland.blogs.time.com/2009/01/06/flying-while-muslim-the-prequel/comment-page-1/#comment-32199 newfloridian Tue, 06 Jan 2009 20:49:12 +0000 http://swampland.blogs.time.com/?p=9464#comment-32199 This post has left me madly going through my closet as I write trying to find a t-shirt that will earn me $240,000 on my next flight. Much better than frequent flyer miles. This post has left me madly going through my closet as I write trying to find a t-shirt that will earn me $240,000 on my next flight. Much better than frequent flyer miles.

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