Southern Comfort...

Two Muslim clerics, ironically going to a conference on religious intolerance, were ejected from a plane in Memphis when the pilot claimed that they made some passengers 'uncomfortable'. Delta and TSA representatives both tried to convince the pilot to let them reboard and also interviewed the passengers and could find no passengers who had filed such a complaint.

This is not the first time this has happened (even in Memphis) and not just in the south (Minneapolis) as my cheeky title may suggest. It is, however, the first time that a pilot would use the standard of 'they make me uncomfortable' to have two innocent citizens bodily ejected from the plane. Let me be clear that both men were checked and cleared twice before boarding and again after ejection and the Delta representative begged the Atlantic SouthEast pilot to let them reboard. He refused.

The men were dressed in the robes of an Imam and were wearing the traditional skullcaps and while it might be reasonable for the TSA, Delta or even a pilot to have concerns, once it had been proven that the men posed no threat at all, they should have been allowed back on the flight. This did not happen because one individual created his own standard based upon his own religious intolerance.

He is not alone. The NPR journalist Juan Williams was fired for these remarks, "Williams responded: "Look, Bill, I'm not a bigot. You know the kind of books I've written about the civil rights movement in this country. But when I get on the plane, I got to tell you, if I see people who are in Muslim garb and I think, you know, they are identifying themselves first and foremost as Muslims, I get worried. I get nervous." In the cited second article it was Hindi woman who expressed similar fears. 

Juan Williams is African American and has written eloquently about racism and so it is odd that he would hold such an opinion but listen carefully what he is saying. You can be Muslim but you are not allowed to identify yourself 'first and foremost as Muslims'. He further says, "I get worried. I get nervous." The pilot says the same thing.

It is not illegal to be worried, suspicious and or uncomfortable but we live in a world of laws. Your right to be those things does not extend to any right to take away the rights of others. To me the most egregious thing is that the TSA and Delta did nothing to enforce these innocent men's rights. Delta's apology said they apologize that 'it may have caused anyone inconvenience'. May have? Anyone? Inconvenience?

NPR was right to fire Williams. Southeastern based in Memphis has made no such statement. They should. Already the blogosphere is ripe with apologists and a 'better safe than sorry' meme is being touted. Nothing new. This was wrong. This was illegal and to pay lip service to the law sends a powerful message to the world. It is okay to do anything to people who are different. People who make you 'uncomfortable'. Will the pilot be fired? Probably not. Past investigations have frowned on the employees but protected their 'right' to make judgement calls such as this despite the law.

The events of 9/11 were the acts of 'terrorists'. The recent acts of Navy SEALS were the acts of patriots, liberators and heroes. I cringed, though' as I saw people celebrating  on CNN chanting USA with 'F**k Allah'. I understand and feel relief as well but these are the acts of the terrorized. I can celebrate liberation, heroism and patriotism but hate and violence can only be the results of misplaced and fearful posturing. To take away the rights of the innocents because you are simply 'uncomfortable' and afraid means one thing. The terrorists have won.