Air Tran Issue

[challer]

I had heard about the Air Tran issue with the Muslim family. I was actually fairly surprised that everyone on the Dis was so emphatic in their condemnation of Air Tran.

I haven't read anywhere about exactly what the other had heard them talking about that made some people report them to the authorities. It surely might have simply been a case of racism/Ilslamophobia, and I'm not sure why Air Tran didn't release them after the FBI cleared them. However, if they did in fact say something that was suspicious - which I'm not sure whether they actually did or didn't - then I commend someone for speaking up.

I live in NYC, and my in-laws were in the World Financial Center on 9/11. I lost two people in my community in the WTC. I lost a good high school friend in a bus bombing in Israel. From my travels in Israel and my living/working in NY, I'm am 100% pro-"If you see something, say something." Better to not hold back info in order not to offend, because lives may be at stake.

Again, it may have simply been a case of people not willing to share a plane with people in traditional Islamic garb, but I haven't been convinced yet that this was the case. (If I'm missing something, show me.)

For those who say, "It was a family - why would a family bomb a plane? There are kids there!" - that's not enough to say that these people are 100% not terrorists. We didn't think women could be terrorists... until they did. We didn't think kids could be terrorists.. until they did. Israel was able to save the live of a small child with Downs Syndrome who had a bomb vest strapped to his body at the Gaza border. It's just a failure of imagination to say that certain people cannot be terrorists - there are sick people out there right now who use their children/families as pawns in the terror war.

I'm sure there were a number of missteps in this case. But if people actually heard something that was suspicious, I commend them for speaking up.

 

[MerMom60_94]

I haven't read any postings on the DIS about this but I did read about this on the news websites. The comment that was overheard was something about "where is the safest seat on the plane". To me that is a common question - one that I have asked myself. Am I better off sitting in the front or the back of the plane or over a wing? Since this family is Muslim, somebody apparently took the comment to mean something was going to happen and this person wanted to know where she would be safer. Now, to me, if this whole big family were carrying a bomb the whole plane would be unsafe and the person with the bomb wouldn't be asking if there is a seat where she could escape a bomb blast. I doubt I would have drawn the same conclusion, but, as you say, if someone is in doubt they have to speak up. The problem, I think, is that the family and a friend who was traveling seperately but who was associated with them was pulled from the plane for questioning. Once they were cleared, Airtran did not get them a later flight. They were just left on their own. I can't blame them for being upset. Yes, the airline had to check things out, but then when it turned out they were ok somebody should have accommodated them to get them to their destination. I do have to wonder, if they hadn't been Muslim would anybody have thought twice about that comment? You don't have to be Muslim to be a terrorist - Just look at Oklahoma City where an American was the terrorist. Conversely, not all Muslims are terrorists. There is a portion of their population that are fanatics, but that doesn't mean the entire population is.

BTW, somebody from my town was on the first plane that crashed into WTC. My community was effected as well. Not to mention, I am married to a firefighter and very sensitive to any disaster where I watch rescue workers walk into certain death. I also have an Arab Muslim friend. He and I were working together on 9/11 and I saw what he went through being a young, Arab Muslim male (single at the time). It isn't easy to be painted wrongly with a broad brush.