Suspicious Activity Leads To Suit.
- Thread starter MJS
- Start date
The TSA has repeatedly asked people to call suspicious behaviour to the attention of airline/LE/security personnel at airports, train stations and so on, and there now a set of interlocking confirmations that the passengers in question were conducting conversations, very publically, that involved very suspicious references; the nature of the defense, therefore, will unquestionably bring in both these TSA directives and the `"Fire" in a crowded theatre' justification for restrictions on speech. I see not one chance in a million that this lawsuit will survive the preliminary hearings.
Had it been a bunch of Christian priests / monks or Rabbi's that got reported for praying and taking to each other would you still think so?
The passenger did what he was supposed to. He saw something that looked suspicious to him and reported it. The airline on the other hand did not.
I can certainely see why these clerics would be offended and going after the people that humiliated them and had them removed from there flight, against the passenger will likely fail, and rightely so. But if someone reported you for praying and talking to your friends which resulted in you getting treated like a terrorist and forced off of your plane wouldn't you be annoyed at them?
Andrew, are you certain that that's all they were doing?
Check out the following:
http://www.nypost.com/seven/1202200...ams_opedcolumnists_richard_miniter.htm?page=0
Sounds more like a form of protest from that, wanting to get kicked off for not doing anything really "wrong" to get media attention. Missplayed attempt at doing a Rosa Parks sort of approach.
CoryKS
Senior Master
Um, no. Attempting to retaliate against passengers for expressing their fears to the airline is not "a form of protest". It is a tactic intended to stifle the next bunch who think their fellow travelers are acting strangely.
Not the retaliation, the action that got complained about.
The article makes it sound like they intentionally where doing things that while not wrong, where done to get them thrown off based on the fact that they where Muslim.
CoryKS
Senior Master
Oh, I gotcha now. But in that light, they sound more like 12-year-old brats throwing punches past your head and saying "I never touched you".
Well yes, but in there plan I'm sure they where more Rosa Parks and less 12 year old brats
I can understand the point they where trying to make, if that was there goal, but what a poor way to make it.
It depends on what's said... If as a Christian, I were seen praying that god save my soul on the upcoming flight, and then start chatting with my comrades about how great the unibomber was and how America deserved to have the World Trade Centers blown up... I wouldn't expect any less treatment than they got.
I agree. It's one thing to go after someone for making an intentional false police report. It's entirely different if a person simply honestly reports what they believe is suspicious.
It's even possible that the whole purpose of the actions of THIS group of Muslims was to determine how the police, TSA, and passengers would respond...
Ray
Master Black Belt
I pray on every flight, I hate flying so very much.
What if a bunch of drunken Americans boarded Emirates Air or Saudi Air and started bragging about how Bush will terrorise the Arab bloc of nations?
Would we expect the Saudis or the UAE to be more accomodating? I'm guessing not.
Would we expect the Saudis or the UAE to be more accomodating? I'm guessing not.
I share your intuition about that 100%. I suspect that what really set alarm bells ringing in the crew's mind was the unusual boarding behavior and extremely worrying seating pattern that they were informed of, as per the information that Post columnist obtained from the police and FBI/TSA report in the link I posted earlier. This is the kind of thing that airlines have been on tenterhooks about pretty much since 9/11. Anyone doing something like that would have to know it would be treated as a red-level situation.
That's why I think this suit will be thrown out of court so fast it'll evaporate in mid-air.
Its good to see that people are being more aware of whats going on around them. I'm sure that the hijakcers of 9/11 were acting odd, and I'm sure it was noticed, but unfortunately, we had our guard down, and look what happened. I can't blame the people on that flight. Stereo typing?? Possibly, but every Muslim isn't a terrorist. However, due to the actions of a few, it causes people to lump them all in the same group.
Reading that other article, if it wasn't for that person on the place who understood the language, its very possible something could've happened.
Mike
Reading that other article, if it wasn't for that person on the place who understood the language, its very possible something could've happened.
Mike
jdinca
Master Black Belt
Were it as benign as you try to make it seem, then yes, I would be annoyed. If those priests, monks, or rabbis were exhibiting the same behavioral patterns that had been exhibited by terrorists from the same religion who proceeded to fly those planes into occupied buildings killing everybody on board and thousands on the ground, you're damned straight I would feel the same way.
Like it, or not, it is radical elements within the Islamic faith, driven by clerics who have an extremist view of what Islam is about, that has brought this issue to the forefront. These are people who have stated that their goal is to destroy the infidels (anybody, including muslims, who do not agree with their radical point of view) and turn this world into an Islamic world, guided by Islamic law. They leave no room for compromise, i.e., we'll just stick to our part of the world and you stick to yours. Their point of view is it's our way, or death. I prefer to do whatever is necessary to deny them that power over me, or my country. If it means that maybe a few clerics who were acting highly suspicious may get their feelings hurt, sorry but that's the way it is.
This isn't a new conflict to the extremists, this is just an extension of a jihad to spread Islam throughout the world that started in the 700s. It's unfortunate that there are those in society who try hard to deny this, even though the radical muslims quite clearly have stated that this is exactly what they think. This isn't a battle that's going to end anytime soon, regardless of which ideology is in charge in the US. We don't have a say in this issue, it's been forced upon us.
Chances are they would've been speaking English, so I would obviously be able to understand them. Speaking for myself, I don't care what religion or nationality they are...if I was to see something odd, I'd report it.
Forgive me here Andrew but I'm not following you when you said the airlines didn't do what they were supposed to.
Chances are, if it wasn't for the passenger who spoke Arabic, things may have slide by. Then again, you'd think the flight attendant would wonder why a slim man would want a seat belt extender.
Mike
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