Six Muslims Removed From Flight for Praying

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I can understand uneducated peopel freaking out, I mean to them they might think it's some death ritual.

I think Muslims should inform the flight crew/airline that they will be praying onboard?
 
Hijrah said:
By STEVE KARNOWSKI

AP
MINNEAPOLIS (Nov. 21) - 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 Congree. 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 cell phone 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 crew members, were re-screened for boarding, Rader said. The plane took off about three hours after the men were removed from the flight.

Copyright 2006 The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press. All active hyperlinks have been inserted by AOL.
11-21-06 09:24 EST


Source: (http://news.aol.com/topnews/article.../n20061121043009990003?ncid=NWS00010000000001)
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So turns out this report of what happened is not so accurate. I live in Tucson Arizona which is about 1 1/2 hours drive from Pheonix where most of these Imams were from. However, I was in Pheonix today for Jum'ah at my old Masjid, by my parents house, which ironically is where one of the Imams works. Today, Omar Shahin the President of the North American Imams Federation, gave the khutbah and an account of what happened. Let me clearify on a few points.

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.
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Omar said that they were never asked to leave the plain by anybody but rather after everybody had boarded the plane it was delayed for about an hour. Then he said a few police officers boarded the plane and began looking around, after which they left only to return with more police officers. The officers then removed the Imams from the plane, nobody asked them to leave they were just grabbed and pulled off the plane.

Three of them stood and said their normal evening prayers together on the plane
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Omar said that three of them said their prayers before every entering the plane, and that they did it in an out of the way area very quietly not disturbing anybody.

Omar also said that they were accused of suspiscious activety because he and one of the other Imams asked for a seatbelt extension since they are a little bigger around the middle and the normal seatbelt wouldn't suffice. Further, one of the Imams, who is blind, was considered of suspiscious activety for asking for assitance in getting around on the plane and for wearing sunglasses. After they were taken off the plane they were handcuffed and taken to a detention center where they were each put into different cells and loud music was played so much so that they couldn't hear or speak to anybody else. Omar asked if they could turn the music off since it was giving him a headache but the refused. Another Imam requested a glass of water which took them 45 minutes to bring. After about 5 hours they were released. US Airways then refused to help or accomodate them in anyway what so ever except refunding their money, dispite the FBI talking directly to US Airways and telling them that there was nothing to worry about.
 
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That's horrible. I"m flying on a very long flight in about a month and am not going to be praying while in flight for this very reason. :(
 
salam walkaum wa rahmatuAllah wa barkatoh,
this happen in my state LOL .. I really wasnt suprised, they were dikaring whlie getting on the plane and then the plane comp. perpusly spread them apart. then they prayred and it was all over. it sounded like a bad sene from a movie.. there is suppose to be a confrence for of a gather of 150 imams coming to minnesota http://www.imamsofamerica.com/
 
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Asalam alaikum.

May allah swt make it easy for all of us.

I am traveling half way across the world in less than a month. I wonder if they'll kick me off..

wa'salam
 
Its depressing that Islam has become so feared that innocent folks like these are subjected to this just for simple harmless prayers. No doubt the passengers on that plane were hysterical over a 9/11 scenario playing out in their imaginations.

It shows how the american public has been programmed by the combined actions of the islamic terrorists and Bush administration. This terrible image doesn't seem to be going away. Not sure what can be done at this point.
 
eh?

The image of the islamic terrorist is very real (note that this is so whether or not it is based on truth or lie). It terrifies americans, and as this example shows that has unfortunate consequences for completely innocent people.

The question is how to change that image in the minds of the people who hold it. If we don't, this sort of thing will continue to happen.
 
Im askin u not too because Islam doesnt teach terrorism. Islam itself means peace. If u wana say terrorists dont add Islam to it.
Thanx..
 
That Islam doesn't teach terrorism is what you need to get into the heads of these people who hold that image. And that won't be easy. It is a hard sell while terrorists claim to act in the name of Islam.

The voices of muslims declaring these terrorists to be highjacking Islam need to be heard more clearly.

Simply pretending that the "muslim terrorist" image doesn't exist accomplishes nothing.
 
Your totally missing the point. You know this very well, so at least YOU can start by not saying it. Thats all im saying.

Peace
 
You are missing the point. By not saying it you are aiding it by not combatting it.

The topic here is about some Muslims who were feared due to this negative image. Declaring that we must not speak of this image will just help more incidents like this to occur.

You can not have your peaceful Islam be respected by the rest of society so long as you fail to differentiate from them and the only way to do that is to address the issue, not silence it.
 
Pygoscelis said:
You are missing the point. By not saying it you are aiding it by not combatting it.

The topic here is about some Muslims who were feared due to this negative image. Declaring that we must not speak of this image will just help more incidents like this to occur.

You can not have your peaceful Islam be respected by the rest of society so long as you fail to differentiate from them and the only way to do that is to address the issue, not silence it.
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This is very coherent and very true. The only way to truly draw a distinction between terrorism and Islam is to combat the elements within Islam which are damaging its image. Refusing to acknowledge or deal with the problem isn't a solution, only a way to create more misconceptions.
 
Why do you guys thinking im denying it? Is it that hard to comprehend? All i said was dont link Islam and terrorists together cuz Islam doesnt not support such an act. Simple as that, dunno why its getting dragged. Anways if u cant comprehend its not my problem. And now im done, cuz i know Muezzin is gunna flip :hiding:

Peace
 

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